


Cosmic Energy (Doctor Who Fanfiction)

by theonetimeforgot



Category: David Tennant - Fandom, Doctor Who, Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Billie Piper - Freeform, David Tennant - Freeform, Sonic Screwdriver, TARDIS - Freeform, doctor who - Freeform, tenth doctor - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-30
Updated: 2020-11-30
Packaged: 2021-03-09 23:48:44
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 25
Words: 123,011
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27794863
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/theonetimeforgot/pseuds/theonetimeforgot
Summary: Zana Kline always dreamed of adventures, but that's all they ever were. Dreams. She dreamed of far away galaxies and planets, of the distant past and the faraway future, but she knew they were just crazy fantasies. After all, it was the early 21st century. Humans had yet ventured past the moon. So, how would she become the avid adventurer she was in her complicated mind? The answer's simple, really. She ran into Rose Tyler.
Relationships: Tenth Doctor/Original Female Character(s)
Comments: 1
Kudos: 15





	1. Zana

Christmas lights were strewn all over downtown London, emitting vibrant red and green colors over the crowded streets. Of course, Zana Kline didn't take much notice of the decorations as she hurried past a small group of elderly women, trying to get to her favorite shop before it closed for the night. She had forgotten to get a gift for her friend, and it was only when she noticed the small, neatly wrapped present sitting on the desk in her bedroom had she realized what tomorrow was. Could anyone blame her? She was working as hard as she could to keep her grades above passing level. Her parents were very adamant about her getting accepted into the college of their dreams, and this was the final year to grant them their wish. 

"No, no, please!" Zana exclaimed, exasperated, as she came to a stop in front of the small shop to see the owner locking up for the night. "It won't take me long, I promise!

"Sorry, love. Promised the family I'd be home early tonight," the balding man gave her a small smile before walking past her. "Happy Christmas!"

"Happy Christmas," she replied with slight annoyance as she ran a hand through her dark brunette hair. She stuffed her hands into the pockets of her black, faux leather jacket as she rejoined the crowd of cheery shoppers. Everyone was laughing and smiling as a small group of brass players dressed as Santa Claus played an old Christmas tune on their instruments. All Zana could think about was what she was going to tell her friend the next day when they were supposed to meet up and exchange gifts. She guessed 'Sorry, I totally forgot it was Christmas' wouldn't work. 

As a last resort, Zana wandered towards the small market that was set up. She glanced at the different little knick-knacks, but nothing really caught her eye. Eventually, she wound up at a little stand selling homemade jewelry, and she had to admit, the pieces were put together rather well.

"God, I'm all out of sync. You just forget about Christmas and things in the TARDIS. They don't exist. You get sort of timeless," a blonde woman walking along behind Zana informed her friend, causing Zana to turn around to take a look at her. TARDIS? Timeless? What was this woman talking about?

"Oh, yeah, that's fascinating, because I love hearing stories about the TARDIS," the woman's friend replied. Zana frowned. There was that word again. "Oh, go on Rose, tell us another one because I swear I could listen to it all day. TARDIS this, TARDIS that."

"Shut up."

"Oh, and one time the TARDIS landed in a big yellow garden full of balloons!" the man said with a sarcastic tone.

"I'm not like that!" 

"Oh, you so are."

Zana went to follow them but was abruptly stopped by the owner of the stand. She looked down and noticed that she still had a small, blue bracelet in her hand.

"You have to pay for that, love. Nothing's free anymore," the older woman smiled gently.

"Yes. Quite right. Sorry," Zana pulled her wallet and hastily paid the woman. She wished her a happy Christmas before following after the odd couple.

"...Mmm, must drive you mad. I'm surprised you don't give up on me," the woman, Rose, as the man had said, stated they walked past the small band.

"Oh, that's the thing, isn't it? You can rely on me. I don't go changing my face," the man sent a look in Rose's direction.

Changing his face? What in the world were these two going on about? 

"Yeah..." Rose sighed. "What if he's dying?"

"Okay," the man's voice was enough to tell Zana that he was obviously annoyed with whoever this 'he' was.

"Sorry!" Rose apologized quickly, grabbing her friend's arm.

"Just let it be Christmas. Can you do that? Just for a bit. You and me and Christmas. No Doctor, no bog monsters, no life or death."

"Okay..." Rose agreed.

"Promise?"

"Yes!"

"Right! What're you going to get for your mum?" he asked her as they wandered through the multiple different stands. Zana was only ever two or three steps behind the two, trying to be as discrete as she could be. Her curiosity had gotten the best of her. "I'm round there all the time now, you know. She does my dinner on a Sunday, talks about you all afternoon, yap yap yap."

Zana tried to act normal when Rose turned around, but she soon noticed that the blonde was looking past her, at the brass-playing Santas. They had stopped playing their song and had started following her. Well, maybe not her, but they were headed in her particular direction. Before Zana could even react, a flame shot out of one of the Santas' trombones, nearly scorching her. Luckily, the very woman she had been following pulled her out of the way, and the three of them quickly sought protection behind a stall.

"It's us! They're after us!" Rose told her friend loudly as they ran ahead of the shocked eighteen-year-old. Zana desperately tried to keep up with the two of them, and she shouldn't help the surprised sound that escaped her mouth as a large ball of fire demolished a large Christmas tree, causing it to fall on one of the Santas.

"What's going on? What've we done? Why are they after us?" the man asked question after question as they dashed off.

"Taxi!" Rose shouted, clearly shaken.

"Hey! Wait!" Zana's voice rang out loudly as she ran to catch up with the two. When she caught up with them, they were climbing into a taxi. On a whim, Zana climbed in as well.

"They're after the Doctor," Rose was saying as Zana closed the door and the taxi drove off, "Who are you?"

"Zana," she introduced, out of breath. "You uh, saved my life."

"Don't mention it," she nodded as grabbed her mobile and dialed a number.

"I can't even go shopping with you. We get attacked by a brass band!" the man exclaimed as Rose pressed her phone to her ear, "Who're you phoning?"

"My mum," she replied flatly as Zana gulped. What has she gotten herself into? "Get off the phone!"

"What were those...firey Santa things?" Zana asked the two of them, wanting to learn at least something. After all, she had no idea what the hell was going on. Evil Santas? TARDIS? Doctor? None of it made sense to her, which she didn't like. Ugh, why did she have to forget Christmas? She could be at home. Sleeping. 

"I don't know," Rose shook her head, looking at the man, "But think about it. They were after us. What's important about us? Well, nothing, except the one thing we've got tucked up in bed. The Doctor."

"Doctor who?" Zana frowned as the taxi pulled to a stop. Neither of them answered her as they climbed out. 

Zana considered just taking the taxi home. She considered just forgetting all of this. Surely it wasn't that important. And even if it was, what purpose did Zana serve? Rose and her friend seemed to know, or at least have an idea, of what was going on. And even if they didn't, she would bet that this...Doctor, they kept talking about did. Maybe it was just a prank gone bad? Part of an act? Whatever it was, she had no business bothering herself with it..did she? She did almost get fried...

"Wait!" she got out of the taxi, closing the door before following the couple up a few flights of stairs, into their flat. "Blimey...I just followed two strangers into their flat. For all I know, you could be murders. Although, that's quite stereotypical of me to say..."

"Get off the phone!" Rose didn't seem to notice her as she grabbed the phone out of her mum's hands. "It's only Bev. She says hello." 

"Bev?" Rose spoke into the phone. "Yeah. Look, it'll have to wait." She hung up the phone and sat it down on the table, all without glancing in Zana's direction, "Right, it's not safe. We've got to get out. Where can we go?"

"My mate Stan, he'll put us up," the man informed quickly.

"That's only two streets away. What about Mo? Where's she living now?" 

"I don't know. Peak District," Rose's mum answered, a bit confused.

"Well, we'll go to cousin Mo's then!"

"No, it's Christmas Eve! We're not going anywhere! What're you babbling about? Who the hell is this?" the older woman looked right at Zana. Rose and her friend turned to see her standing in the doorway of the room, looking on in confusion.

"I have no idea," Rose shook her head, but suddenly stopped as something caught her eye. "Mum. Where'd you get that tree?" The four of them looked at the green Christmas tree in the living room. Zana didn't see anything wrong with the tree. It looked nice, she thought. "That's a new tree. Where'd you get it?"

"I thought it was you." 

"How can it be me?"

"Well, you went shopping. There was a ring at the door, and there it was!"

"No, that wasn't me."

"Then who was it?"

Zana's eyes widened as the tree lit up and 'Jingle Bells' filled the air. Things were definitely different with these people, and Zana had made it her goal to find out what. That is if she didn't run away first.

"Oh, you're kidding me..." Rose seemed almost annoyed.

"Is...is it suppose to do that?" Zana asked hopefully as the tree started to rotate. It quickly grew in speed, answering her question.

"Get out! Go, go! Get out!" the man yelled, picking up a chair to fend off the approaching tree as the three women rushed out of the room.

"We've got to save the Doctor," Rose declared.

"What're you doing?" her mother asked hurriedly.

"We can't just leave him!" she ran into a separate room, leaving Zana no choice but to follow. Even more, questions filled her head as she spotted a man, dressed in striped pajamas, laying tucked into bed. This must be the Doctor...Was he okay? Had something happened to him?

"Mickey!" the loud cry of Rose's mum filled the air. "Leave it! Get out! Get out!"

"Mickey!" Rose called as well.

"Get out of there!" Mickey rushed away from the tree and joined Rose and Zana in the small bedroom. "No, leave him. Just leave him!"

"Get in here!" Mickey demanded, and she did as told. Zana helped the two of them push a wardrobe in front of the door as Rose moved to the Doctor's side.

"Doctor, wake up!" she yowled as Zana rushed to the other side of the room, trying to get as far from the door as she could. Nothing made sense to her, nothing whatsoever, but there was nothing she could do. She had gotten herself into this impossible situation, so she had no choice but to face whatever headed her way. 

Rose moved over to her and grabbed something out of a jacket hanging beside her. From the glance Zana got, it looked like a pen of some sort, with a blue light at the end of it. She watched as Rose pressed it into the palm of the unconscious Doctor.

"I'm going to get killed by a Christmas tree!" Rose's mum squealed. If Zana wasn't terrified for her own life, she might have tried to comfort the distressing woman.

"Help me," Rose whispered into the Doctor's ear, and Zana jumped back, surprised at how quickly the man sat up and aimed the...whatever it was at the tree, causing it to explode. How did he do that? 

"Remote control. But who's controlling it?" the mysterious man asked, standing up. He slid on a dressing gown and walked out of the room as if nothing was wrong, leaving the others no choice to follow. He walked right out of the flat and looked down at the ground level. Worry instantly flushed through Zana when she spotted the Santas. 

"That's them. What are they?" Mickey asked as Zana stood back, away from the edge.

"Shush!" Rose scolded as the Doctor studied the Santas. Zana watched as he raised the pen-thing and aimed it at them, and was relieved when they backed up and disappeared.

"They've just gone," Mickey said, sounding full of joy. "What kind of rubbish were they? I mean, no offense, but they're not much cop if a sonic screwdriver's going to scare them off."

Sonic screwdriver? So that's what it's called...what the hell is a sonic screwdriver?

"Pilotfish," the Doctor informed, making everyone look at him.

"What?" Rose asked. 

"They were just pilot fish."

Zana was just about to explain what a pilot fish was when suddenly the Doctor cried out in pain. 

"What's wrong?" Rose asked as he fell back against the wall. 

"You woke me up too soon. I'm still regenerating. I'm bursting with energy," Zana felt intrigued when golden mist escaped the man's lips. Everything was becoming exciting to the young woman, but she was guessing that it was the adrenaline pumping through her veins. After all, she just escaped evil Santas and a defective Christmas tree! How much more crazy can it get? "You see? The pilot fish could smell it a million miles away. So they eliminate the defense, that's you lot, and they carry me off. They could run their batteries on me for a couple of of-Ow!"

"Oh! Oh! Oh!" Rose's mum suddenly went into action. She crouched down so she was face-to-face with the man, who was wincing, obviously in pain.

"My head! I'm having a neuron implosion. I need-" he struggled to finish his sentence.

"What do you need?"

"I need-"

"Say it. Tell me, tell me, tell me."

"I need-"

"Painkillers?"

"I need-"

"Do you need aspirin?"

"I need-"

"Codeine? Paracetamol? Oh, I don't know, Pepto-Bismol?"

I need-"

"Liquid paraffin. Vitamin C? Vitamin D? Vitamin E?"

"I need-"

"Is it food? Something simple. Bowl of soup. A nice bowl of soup? Soup and a sandwich? Soup and a little ham sandwich?"

"I need you to shut up," the Doctor finally managed to say, earning a small laugh from Zana. Rose and Mickey shot her a glance. After all, none of them knew each other. Zana had to remind herself that she had followed these two to their home. Did that make her a stalker or something? Surely not. Rose did save her life, and Zana did want to thank her properly for that...But she can't deny that everything that's happened has fascinated her. TARDIS? Sonic screwdriver? The Doctor? It wasn't every day that Zana got to investigate something new, so could you blame her? 

"Oh, he hasn't changed that much, has he?" Rose's mum huffed.

"We haven't got much time. If there's pilot fish, then-" the Doctor reached into the pocket of his dressing-gown and pulled out a green apple. "Why's there an apple in my dressing gown?"

"Oh, that's Howard. Sorry."

"He keeps apples in his dressing gown?"

"He gets hungry."

"What, he gets hungry in his sleep?"

"Sometimes."

"Argh! Brain collapsing," the Doctor struggled to speak, "The pilot fish...the pilot fish mean that something...something...something is coming."

And with that, he fell unconscious.

~*~*~*~*~

"Who exactly are you?" Rose's mother handed Zana, who was sitting down at the table, a cup of warm tea. Rose was looking after the Doctor, and Mickey had gone to get his laptop, leaving the curious teenager along with the older woman.

"Thank you," Zana took a small drink. "My name's Zana."

"Jackie," the woman gave her a small smile as she sat down beside her. "I don't mean to be rude, but why are you here?"

"Uh...Rose. She saved my life, back at the market." 

Jackie smiled proudly, "That's my daughter. Did you follow them back here?"

"I rode with them," she informed. "I...can't tell you exactly why I followed them-"

"Why? Are you some sort of spy?"

Zana frowned, "Why would I be a spy? Are spies something you have to worry about? Do you often have spies come by for tea?"

"What? No!" Jackie shook her head. 

Zana studied the woman for a moment, "Jackie...if I may, can I ask you a few things? I'm not a spy, I promise."

Jackie chuckled, hiding her embarrassment. "Go on, then."

"When I was at the market...I overheard Rose and Mickey speaking. What's a...TARDIS? Who's the Doctor?"

An annoyed look covered her face, "So this is about the Doctor, is it?"

"Um...yes. Who is he?"

"No one, really. If anyone, a troublemaker."

"He just stopped those...Santa things by pointing a sonic something at them. I don't know much about the man, but I know that he is most certainly not no one," Zana paused. "So, please...enlighten me."

Jackie sighed, "Look, Zana, I'm warnin' ya, don't concern yourself with him."

"Why not?" Zana gave her a confused look.

"Jackie, I'm using the phone line. Is that all right?" Mickey walked in and sat down next to Zana, who was still terribly confused.

"Yeah. Keep a count of it," Jackie stood up and look at the clock as Rose walked back into the room. "It's midnight. Christmas day. Any change?"

"He's worse. Just one heart beating," Rose sighed, which of course didn't help Zana at all. 'Just one heart beating'?

"Scientists in charge of Britain's mission to Mars have re-established contact with the Guinevere One space probe," a reporter spoke from the TV, drawing Zana's attention to it. She knew a bit about Guinevere One. She had to do a whole essay about it for science. "They're expecting the first transmission from the planet's surface in the next few minutes."

"Yes, we are. We're, we're back on schedule," a man, who Zana recognized as Daniel Llewellyn, the creator of Guinevere One, informed. "We've received the signal from Guinevere One. The Mars landing would seem to be an unqualified success."

"But is it true that you completely lost contact earlier tonight?" 

"Yes, we had a bit of a scare. Guinevere seemed to fall off the scope, but it, it was just a blip. Only disappeared for a few seconds. She is fine now, absolutely fine. We're getting the first pictures transmitted live any minute now. I'd better get back to it, thanks."

"Here we go, pilot fish. Scavengers, like the Doctor said. Harmless. They're tiny. But the point is, the little fish swim alongside the big fish," Mickey spoke up.

"I coulda told you that," Zana sipped her tea, but no one paid her any mind.

"Do you mean like sharks?" Rose asked Mickey, joining him at the table. Zana caught a small glimpse of the video Mickey was watching about pilot fish.

"Great big sharks. So, what the Doctor means is, we had them, now we get that," he motioned towards the large shark on his screen

"Something is coming," Rose repeated the Doctor's words. "How close?"

"There's no way of telling, but the pilot fish don't swim far from their daddy."

"So, it's close?"

"Funny sort of rocks," Jackie commented, drawing everyone's attention back towards the telly. Static littered the screen, but they could still make out a strange-looking figure.

"That's not rocks..." Zana commented absently. She had no idea what that could possibly be, but she knew that it couldn't be rocks.

"This image is being transmitted via mission control, coming live from the depths of space on Christmas morning," the reporter informed, and seconds later, a creature with bright red eyes lunged forward with a growl, causing Rose and Zana to jump back with a shout.

~*~*~*~*~

By now, Rose, Jackie, and Mickey didn't even question the presence of Zana anymore. Not that they really did in the first place. Now she was sitting on the couch, watching the TV intently, trying to come up with a good explanation as to what she just saw. She never really put much thought into alien existence...after all, it's a vast universe. She just always assumed there were others. But she never thought she'd actually get to see them.

Zana sighed and leaned back, running a hand down her face tiredly. She should be home, with her parents, who were probably worried sick about her. But she couldn't help it. For as long as she could remember, she's craved an adventure like this. The suspense was exhilarating! Sure, she knew that none of this made any sense whatsoever, and she didn't even know the people who's flat she was currently in, but none of that mattered to her now. An escapade was just handed to her on a silver platter, and she'd be damned if she didn't take it.

"So...your name's Zana, yeah?" Rose sat down next to her, and Zana looked over the young woman. She only had to be a year or so older than herself, which somehow relieved her. 

"Yes, it is," Zana nodded. "Sorry about following you home, but I was intrigued."

"By what?"

"...You. I overheard you and Mickey talking about a...TARDIS?"

"Oh..." Rose looked down. "Yeah...uh, my friend, the Doctor...he uh, he's the one in the other room. He's got this...box, called the TARDIS."

Zana's excitement plummeted, "A...box? I followed two random strangers, was nearly killed by a demented group of trumpet playing Santas, and then by an out-of-control Christmas tree...for a box?"

"Yeah, pretty much," Rose chuckled softly, amused. "I'm sorry about that, by the way."

"No, no, wasn't your fault," Zana shook her head. "I need to be thanking you. You practically saved me both times."

"No problem. It's sorta what I do."

"You save people?" Zana cocked her head to the side. "With the Doctor and Mickey, I'm guessing?"

"Just the Doctor," she corrected. "And yeah."

"And...who is the Doctor?"

Rose looked conflicted for a moment or so, piquing Zana's interest again. She was finally getting somewhere!

"He's the greatest man I've ever met," Rose ended up saying. "But...he's different. He's changed."

"And when you say change, you literally mean change," Zana nodded. "I heard Mickey say that too."

"Right...and yeah...I mean, I thought I knew him...but he went and changed," Rose quickly wiped her eyes, and a pang of sympathy shot through Zana. This Doctor obviously meant a lot to her. "And now, with those aliens on the TV...I don't know what to do."

"Who is he?" Zana asked softly. 

"He's a Time Lord, a whole different species."

"The Doctor's an alien?" she sat up straight instantly. "That man in there...is a face-changing alien?"

"Essentially, yeah..."

"Who owns a box?" Zana joked, trying to get a smile out of Rose. And it worked.

"It's more than just a box, you know," she chuckled. "It's his...spaceship."

"But it's just a box?"

"A police box."

"From that '60s? Isn't it kinda cramped?"

"It's quite roomy, actually," Rose informed. 

Zana smiled softly, "You know, you seem like a cool person, Rose."

"You too," she smiled as well. 

"Rose. Take a look," Mickey called. Rose and Zana quickly got up and moved over to him. "I've got access to the military. They're tracking a spaceship. It's big, it's fast, and it's coming this way."

"Coming for what, though? The Doctor?" Rose looked at him, confused, as the three of them looked over the computer screen. 

"I don't know. Maybe it's coming for all of us," Mickey looked at Rose as a clear picture of the aliens appeared on the screen, "Have you seen them before?"

"No," she shook her head.

Zana leaned in closer when the aliens began to speak. She half expected to understand them, but of course, she didn't.

"I don't understand what they're saying..." Rose commented. "The TARDIS translates alien languages inside my head, all the time, wherever I am."

"So, why isn't it doing it now?" Mickey pondered.

Rose gulped and shook her head, worry coursing through her, "I don't know. Must be the Doctor. Like he's part of the circuit, and he's...he's broken."

~*~*~*~*~


	2. Zana Pt. 2

"..It's hardly the Queen's speech. I'm afraid that's been canceled," the familiar voice of Prime Minister Harriet Jones woke Zana from her sleep. "Did we ask about the royal family? Oh. They're on the roof..."

"No one thought to wake me?" Zana muttered tiredly, wiping the sleep from her eyes as she stood up. Mickey glanced at her and gave her a small smile before turning back the TV. She stretched her limbs and fixed her clothes before moving to stand next to Rose, who was watching the Prime Minister's speech with sorrow. She didn't even remember falling asleep last night, but it seemed like one of them had provided her with a pillow and blanket, which she was grateful for. Most of all, she was grateful that they had seemed to take to her. She was a part of this now, it seemed, and they happily accepted her.

"...But, ladies and gentlemen, this crisis is unique, and I'm afraid to say, it might get much worse. I would ask you all to remain calm. But I have one request. Doctor, if you're out there, we need you. I don't know what to do..." Zana looked at Rose, who had tears sliding down her cheeks. Rose shook her head and walked away, to the room that the Doctor was staying in. "If you can hear me, Doctor. If anyone knows the Doctor, if anyone can find him, the situation has never been more desperate. Help us. Please, Doctor. Help us. God help us. "

Jackie hurried over to her daughter, who broke down in tears, "He's gone. The Doctor's gone! He's left me, mum. He's left me, mum!"

"It's all right...I'm sorry." Jackie tried to comfort her.

"Rose..." Zana started but was knocked to the ground as all the windows shattered, which was accompanied by a loud booming noise.

"Are you alright?" Mickey moved over to her and helped her stand.

"Fine, yeah," Zana looked over herself, grateful that she wasn't cut by the glass. "That was a sonic boom, I think. Like when a jet takes off...it must be from the spaceship."

With that, Mickey rushed outside, followed closely behind by Rose, Jackie, and Zana.

"What...what are those people doing on the roof?" Zana asked, seeing lines of people standing on the edge of multiple different buildings. "Did I miss something?"

"We don't know what's going on," Mickey looked at her. "But whatever it is, it's not good."

Zana gasped as the spaceship came into view. To her, it looked like a small floating mountain with large spikes poking from the edges of it. Worry coursed through her, but she didn't move a muscle as it flew overhead. Everyone watched in silence, that was until Rose rushed back into the flat.

"What now?" Jackie muttered as they followed after her.

"Mickey, we're going to carry him. Mum, get your stuff and get some food. We're going," Rose informed as we made it inside.

"Where to?" Mickey asked.

"The TARDIS. It's the only safe place on Earth," Rose picked up the dressing gown the Doctor was wearing earlier.

"What're we going to do in there?" Jackie asked.

"Hide."

"Is that it?"

"Mum, look in the sky. There's a great, big, alien invasion and I don't know what to do, all right? I've traveled with him, and I've seen all that stuff, but when I'm stuck at home, I'm useless!" Rose exclaimed, clearly upset. "Now, all we can do is run and hide, and I'm sorry. Now, move. Oh, lift him up."

Mickey moved forward and grabbed the Doctor's legs as Jackie ran off to get the food and things Rose had requested.

"Zana, help," Rose looked up at the brunette, who was biting at her fingernails. It was a nervous tick of hers.

"Am I going with you?" Zana asked, moving forward to help her with the Doctor's arms.

"I don't see why not. You're not bad company," Rose gave her a quick smile before lifting the Doctor up. Zana couldn't help the grin that spread across her lips as they carefully carried the Doctor to ground level. Mickey almost tripped, Rose almost fell backward, and Zana nearly dropped the Doctor a few times, but besides that, they managed to get him down the stairs. Jackie was close behind, carrying several bags full of everything she could grab.

"Oh my god..." Zana gasped loudly as Rose opened the doors to the Doctor's spaceship. They stepped in and sat the Doctor down on the floor. She immediately spun around, taking in the interior of the TARDIS. It was...beautiful, to say the least. From the coral design, to the green lights, to the soft humming of the machine itself, it enchanted her. This was so much better than she could have ever imagined. She looked at Rose, who was leaning against...what Zana guessed was the control panel, and beamed. "This is such a better box than I expected."

"No chance you could fly this thing?" Mickey paid no attention to Zana's comment, instead turning to talk to Rose himself.

"Not anymore, no," Rose shook her head.

"Well, you did it before."

"I know, but it's sort of been wiped out of my head, like it's forbidden. Try that again and I think the Universe rips in half."

"Ah, better not, then."

"Maybe not," Rose sounded a tad annoyed. Zana didn't blame her. The situation was rather unique at the moment.

"So, what do we do? Just sit here?"

"That's as good as it gets!"

"Right, here we go. Nice cup of tea," Jackie opened her thermos.

"Mmm, the solution to everything," Rose fought the urge to roll her eyes.

"Now, stop your moaning," Jackie scolded, heading towards the doors. "I'll get the rest of the food."

"Tea. Like we're having a picnic while the world comes to an end. Very British," Mickey chuckled as Jackie left. Zana had managed to control herself. This place just looks...magical. "How does this thing work?" Mickey asked, pulling a computer-looking device that was connected to the control panel towards him. "If it picks up TV, maybe we could see what's going on out there. Maybe we've surrendered. What do you do to it?"

"I don't know. It sort of tunes itself," Rose joined him and pressed a few buttons. Beeping noises filled the air, making Zana laugh. Everything was just too cool!

"Maybe it's a distress signal," Mickey said to Rose, and Zana decided to join them. Strange symbols covered the screen, but Zana didn't understand it. It certainly wasn't English.

"A fat lot of good that's going to do," Rose muttered.

"Are you going to be a misery all the time?"

"Yes."

"You should look at it from my point of view, stuck in here with your mum's cooking."

"Where is she? I'd better give her a hand. It might start raining missiles out there," Rose started walking towards the doors.

"Tell her anything from a tin, that's fine," Mickey joked.

"Why don't you tell her yourself?" Rose smiled softly.

"I'm not that brave," Mickey shook his head.

"Oh, I don't know," Rose gave him a look before stepping outside. A scream filled the air, and Zana and Mickey both immediately went into action. Mickey dropped the thermos full of tea onto the floor before rushing outside. Zana went to follow, but all she heard was Rose yelling for her to close the door. So she did.

"What did I just do?" Zana breathed, realizing she just shut herself inside. She feared that if she opened the door, the aliens would get in, and Rose obviously didn't want that to happen. She should be out there, with Rose and Mickey! What good was she inside of here, with an unconscious Time Lord and a now-empty thermos of tea? It had spilled when Mickey dropped it, and quite frankly, that was worrying her as well. She was starting to rethink her whole decision to stay with Rose. She should have just went home! ...Was the TARDIS suppose to be making that hissing noise?

As if reading her mind, the Doctor suddenly sat up, causing Zana to let out a shout and jump back.

"Who are you?" he asked, standing up.

"Zana Kline," she informed, in shock. He just jumped up like he hadn't been asleep in the first place! "Uh...I guess I'm a friend of Rose's."

"Really? She's never mentioned you."

"A rather new friend of Rose's." Zana corrected, looking him over. "You're the Doctor, yeah? She told me about you. You're an alien...with a cool box...who can change his appearance..."

"Sounds like me," he nodded before dashing towards the doors. Zana frowned a bit as he opened them. He didn't seem as extraordinary as Rose had made him sound. "Did you miss me?"

Zana saw the most atrocious looking alien crack it's whip at the Doctor, who simply grabbed it and pulled it away from it, "You could have someone's eye out with that!"

"How dare-!" the alien moved forward to hit the Doctor with its staff, but the Doctor yanked it from his grip and broke it over his knee. Okay...maybe she was wrong about the extraordinary thing. That was impressive.

"You just can't get the staff. Now, you, just wait. I'm busy," the Doctor pointed at the alien before turning to the small group of humans to his right. Zana moved to stand with the others and was genuinely surprised when Rose pulled her into a hug, but she happily returned it. Mickey simply gave her a small smile, which she was happy about as well. She wanted to introduce herself to the Prime Minister, but the Doctor had started speaking. "Mickey, hello! And Harriet Jones MP for Flydale North. Blimey, it's like This Is Your Life!" He moved to stand in front of Rose, "Tea! That's all I needed, a good cup of tea! Superheated infusion of free radicals and tannin. Just the thing for healing the synapses. Now, first thing's first. Be honest, how do I look?"

Rose looked over him, "Er, different."

"Good different or bad different?

"Just different."

"Am I...ginger?"

"What an odd question," Zana mumbled to herself. These people were definitely something else.

"No, you're just sort of brown."

The Doctor pouted, "I wanted to be ginger! I've never been ginger! And you, Rose Tyler, fat lot of good you were! You gave up on me! Oh, that's rude. That's the sort of man I am now, am I? Rude. Rude and not ginger."

"I'm sorry. Who is this?" Harriet Jones asked, looking on in confusion.

"I'm the Doctor," he informed.

"He's the Doctor," Rose nodded.

"But what happened to my Doctor? Or is it a title that's just passed on?"

"I'm him. I'm literally him. Same man, new face. Well, new everything," he gave her a reassuring smile.

"But you can't be..."

He walked up to her, speaking his words softly, "Harriet Jones, we were trapped in Downing Street and the one thing that scared you wasn't the aliens, it wasn't the war, it was the thought of your mother being on her own."

"Oh, my God," the Prime Minister breathed.

His smile widened, "Did you win the election?"

She grinned, "Landslide majority."

"If I might interrupt," the alien leader spoke up.

"Yes, sorry. Hello, big fellow," the Doctor turned back towards him.

"What are they called?" Zana whispered to Rose, curious.

"Sycorax," Rose informed.

"What, like the Shakespeare character?"

Rose just gave her a look, "I guess so. By the way, are you alright?"

"Me? I'm fine. What about you?"

"I'm fine," she nodded before the two of them turned their attention back to the Doctor and the Sycorax.

"Who exactly are you?" the leader of the Sycorax asked loudly of the Doctor.

"Well, that's the question," the Doctor replied casually.

"I demand to know who you are!"

"I don't know!" the Doctor imitated the Sycorax's unique voice, "See, there's the thing. I'm the Doctor, but beyond that, I just don't know. I literally do not know who I am. It's all untested. Am I funny? Am I sarcastic? Sexy?" he winked at Rose, making Zana chuckle. "Right old misery? Life and soul? Right-handed? Left-handed? A gambler? A fighter? A coward? A traitor? A liar? A nervous wreck? I mean, judging by the evidence, I've certainly got a gob," he paused and pointed at a large bed button. "And how am I going to react when I see this, a great big threatening button?" he laughed and made his way to it, making everyone run to keep up with him. "A great big threatening button which must not be pressed under any circumstances, am I right? Let me guess. It's some sort of control matrix, hmm? Hold on, what's feeding it?" he crouched down and opened the base of the machine, and dipped his finger into the liquid that was sitting inside. "And what've we got here? Blood?" Zana grimaced when he tasted it. "Yeah, definitely blood. Human blood. A Positive, with just a dash of iron. Ah, but that means blood control. Blood control! Oh, I haven't seen blood control for years. You're controlling all the A Positives. Which leaves us with a great big stinking problem. Because I really don't know who I am. I don't know when to stop. So if I see a great big threatening button which should never, ever, ever be pressed, then I just want to do this!"

"No!" Rose and Harriet cried as he brought his hand down on the button.

"You killed them!" Harriet's assistant exclaimed, and Zana looked on in shock. Did he really just kill all those poor people?

"What do you think, big fellow? Are they dead?" the Doctor asked the Sycorax leader.

"We allow them to live," the leader looked down, almost as if he was embarrassed.

"Allow?" the Doctor scoffed. "You've no choice. I mean, that's all blood control is. A cheap bit of voodoo. Scares the pants off you, but that's as far as it goes. It's like hypnosis. You can hypnotize someone to walk like a chicken or sing like Elvis. You can't hypnotize them to death. Survival instinct's too strong."

"Blood control was just one form of conquest. I can summon the armada and take this world by force!"

"Well, yeah, you could, yeah, you could do that, of course you could. But why? Look at these people. These human beings. Consider their potential!" Zana raised an eyebrow. "From the day they arrive on the planet and blinking step into the sun, there is more to see than can ever be seen. More to do than- No, hold on..." he paused for a moment. "Sorry, that's The Lion King. But the point still stands. Leave them alone!"

"Or what?"

"Or," the Doctor grabbed a sword from one of the nearby Sycorax and ran towards the TARDIS, "I challenge you!" Every Sycorax in the room started laughing. Zana looked around, unsure of what exactly was going on. "Oh, that struck a chord. Am I right that the sanctified rules of combat still apply?"

"You stand as this world's champion!"

"Thank you. I've no idea who I am, but you just summed me up," the Doctor threw his dressing gown in Zana's direction.

"Uh, okay," she nodded, folding it over her arm.

"So, you accept my challenge? Or are you just a cranak pel casacree salvak?"

There was an eruption of roars from all the Sycorax at what Zana presumed was an insult.

"For the planet?" the leader asked angrily.

"For the planet," the Doctor agreed before the fight commenced. Zana watched anxiously, flinching every time their swords clashed.

"Look out!" Rose called as the leader brought its sword down in front of the Doctor.

"Oh, yeah, that helps. Wouldn't have thought of that otherwise, thanks," the Doctor replied sarcastically as the fight continued. Everyone was looking on in worry as the leader of the Sycorax elbowed the Time Lord in the stomach. They watched as he retreated through a tunnel and pressed a button, "Bit of fresh air?" Zana, Mickey, Rose, Harriet, and a few Sycorax rushed after the fighting aliens. Zana had to squint to see them, as the sun was shining bright. Rose let out a loud gasp and went running forward as the Sycorax leader nicked the Doctor on the nose. "Stay back! Invalidate the challenge and he wins the planet!" Zana rested a hand on Rose's shoulder, seeing how shaken up she was. To be honest, Zana was worried herself. She hadn't known that odd bloke for more than 10 minutes, but there was just something about him that made Zana want to know more about this idiosyncratic man.

"You cut my hand off!" Zana heard the Doctor shout and looked over to see him laying right on the edge of the ship, missing his right hand.

"Oh, my God..." Zana breathed.

"Ya! Sycorax!" the leader cheered as the Doctor stood up, not seeming too fazed by the incident.

"And now I know what sort of man I am. I'm lucky. Because quite by chance I'm still within the first fifteen hours of my regeneration cycle, which means I've got just enough residual cellular energy to do this," everyone watched as his hand grew back, shocked.

"Witchcraft!" the Sycorax cried.

"Time Lord," he corrected.

"Doctor!" Rose shouted, throwing him a sword she had pulled from a different Sycorax.

"Oh, so I'm still the Doctor, then?" the Doctor called.

"No arguments from me!" Rose beamed.

"Want to know the best bit? This new hand? It's a fighting hand!" Zana chuckled at his attempt at a Southern accent. The fight continued, and luckily it wasn't long until the Doctor disarmed the Sycorax. He hit it in the stomach with the hilt of his sword, twice, making it fall right on the edge of the ship. The Doctor pressed the blade into the throat of the alien, and for a moment, Zana believed that he was going to kill it.

"I win," he uttered instead.

"Then kill me," the leader glared.

"I'll spare your life if you'll take this Champion's command. Leave this planet, and never return. What do you say?"

"Yes."

The Doctor pressed the blade deeper into its flesh, "Swear on the blood of your species!"

"I swear!

"There we are, then," the Doctor grinned, shoving the sword into the ground of the ship. "Thanks for that. Cheers, big fellow!"

"Bravo!" Harriet clapped, as did Zana. That was tremendous!

"That says it all. Bravo!" Rose beamed as Zana handed her the Doctor's dressing gown.

"Ah, not bad for a man in his jim-jams," the Doctor commented as Rose helped him into his robe, "Very Arthur Dent. Now, there was a nice man. Hold on, what have I got in here?" He reached into the pocket, "A satsuma. Ah, that friend of your mothers. He does like his snacks doesn't he? But doesn't that just sum up Christmas? You go through all those presents and right at the end, tucked away at the bottom, there's always one stupid old satsuma. Who wants a satsuma?" The Sycorax leader got up and grabbed the sword that was lodged in the ship before charging towards the Doctor. Just as Zana was going to warn him, he threw the satsuma at a button on the ship, causing the floor to open up and the leader to fall through. "No second chances. I'm that sort of a man."

The solemn group headed back into the ship, where the Doctor stopped them just outside of the TARDIS.

"By the ancient rites of combat, I forbid you to scavenge here for the rest of time," the Doctor addressed the large assembly of Sycorax, "And when go you back to the stars and tell others of this planet, when you tell them of its riches, its people, its potential. When you talk of the Earth, then make sure that you tell them this. It is defended!"

As he finished his speech, each of them was engulfed in blue light, and a second later they were back on the surface of the Earth, which Zana was conflicted about. She was happy to be safe...but she was upset the adventure was over. She had just watched an alien sword fight, for crying out loud. This had definitely been the most exciting few days her entire life!

"Where are we?" Zana asked, looking around the unfamiliar street.

"We're just off Bloxom Road. We're just round the corner, we did it!" Mickey cheered, jumping for joy.

"Wait a minute, wait a minute," the Doctor stopped him as the spaceship flew off.

Once it was gone, Mickey grinned. "Go on, my son! Oh, yeah!

Rose beamed and jumped on his back, "Yeah! Don't come back!"

"It is defended!" Mickey shouted happily as Rose pulled him into a hug.

"That was brilliant!" Zana laughed as Rose embraced her. She happily returned the hug.

"That was fantastic!" Rose agreed, pulling back to smile at her.

"Looks like your Doctor's going to be just fine," she smiled as a relieved look covered Rose's face.

"You have to meet him, Zana. I'm sure you'd love him!"

She chuckled, shaking her head as Rose led her over to the Doctor and Harriet Jones.

"...Are there many more out there?" Harriet was asking him.

"Oh, not just Sycorax. Hundreds of species," the Doctor informed, "Thousands of them. And the human race is drawing attention to itself. Every day you're sending out probes and messages and signals. This planet's so noisy. You're getting noticed more and more. You'd better get used to it."

Zana looked down. Thousands, he said...More aliens were going to try to invade the Earth, and she wasn't sure if the human race was ready for that.

"Rose!" Jackie's familiar voice rang out, causing her and Zana to turn around.

"Mum!" Rose took off towards her and engulfed her in a hug.

"Oh, talking of trouble," the Doctor commented.

"Oh, my God! You did it, Rose! Oh!" Jackie cheered as her, Rose, and Mickey made their way towards the Doctor.

"You did it too! It was the tea. Fixed his head!" Rose laughed.

"That was all I needed, cup of tea," the Doctor smiled at her.

"I said so!"

"Look at him!" Rose said excitedly, making Zana laugh. Seeing her new friend happy was certainly a good thing.

"Is it him, though? Is it really the Doctor?" Jackie asked Rose before catching sight of Harriet Jones. "Oh, my God, it's the bleeding Prime Minister!"

"Come here, you," the Doctor chuckled and held out his arms, inviting her into a hug. Rose and Mickey joined in as well as Zana stood back, not wanting to intrude. She knew for sure that she certainly hadn't earned a place in their small family yet. Hell, she doubts she ever would. She had the feeling that this was goodbye.

"Are you better?" Jackie asked the Time Lord.

"I am, yeah," he nodded.

"You left me!" she looked at Rose.

"I'm sorry," Rose chuckled.

"I had all the food!"

"Tell them to fire," Zana spun around when she heard the Prime Minister utter those words to her assistant. What the hell was she talking about?

"Fire at will," the man spoke into his headpiece. Seconds later, five green beams of light shot into the sky, meeting in the middle before firing out into space, hitting the Sycorax ship. Zana covered her mouth with her hand as it blew into pieces.

"What is that? What's happening?" Rose looked around, confused.

"That was murder," the Doctor's voice became serious.

"That was defense. It's adapted from alien technology. A ship that fell to Earth ten years ago," Harriet informed professionally.

"But they were leaving!"

"You said yourself, Doctor, they'd go back to the stars and tell others about the Earth," she shook her head. "I'm sorry, Doctor, but you're not here all the time. You come and go. It happened today. Mister Llewellyn and the Major, they were murdered! They died right in front of me while you were sleeping! In which case we have to defend ourselves."

"Britain's Golden Age," the Doctor spat bitterly, making Zana frown. Surely he wasn't going to get upset with her. The Prime Minister did make a point.

"It comes with a price," Harriet sighed.

"I gave them the wrong warning. I should've told them to run as fast as they can, run and hide because the monsters are coming. The human race!"

"Those are the people I represent. I did it on their behalf!"

"Then I should have stopped you," he glared at her.

"What does that make you, Doctor? Another alien threat?"

"Don't challenge me, Harriet Jones, because I'm a completely new man!" He stepped towards her angrily, "I could bring down your Government with a single word."

"You're the most remarkable man I've ever met, but I don't think you're quite capable of that," Harriet sighed.

He studied her for a moment, "No, you're right. Not a single word, just six."

"I don't think so."

"Six words."

"Stop it!"

"Six." He walked over to her assistant and took his earpiece from his ear before whispering, "Don't you think she looks tired?"

Zana looked on, conflicted, as Rose, Jackie, Mickey, and the Doctor walked off. Should she go with them? Would they even want her too?

"What did he say?" Harriet asked her assistant frantically.

"Oh, well, nothing, really," he shook his head,

"What did he say?!"

"Nothing! I don't know!"

"Doctor!" she rushed forward a ways. "Doctor, what did you? What was that? What did he say?" She looked at Zana, who just shrugged. "What did you say, Doctor? Doctor! I'm sorry..."

Zana looked on with sympathy before quietly following after the group ahead of her. Her mind was running a thousand miles per hour as she watched them make their way into the Tyler flat, but finally, she decided to just head home. She didn't particularly enjoy goodbyes, and it seemed that saying goodbye to Rose, Mickey, and Jackie would be difficult for her. The Doctor, though? Well, Zana hardly knew him. And she was starting to think that was a good thing.

~*~*~*~*~

The streets were busy with happy families and happy couples as Zana sauntered along, earbuds in, tuning out the world. Her mind was still buzzing from the day before, and to be honest, she didn't think she would ever stop thinking about it. Could you blame her? She witnessed the world being saved by a man in his pajamas, then watched as he took down Harriet Jones. With just six words. Who can completely take down a government with just six words? Well, apparently the Doctor.

But who was the Doctor?

As soon as she had gotten home the next day, she tried to research him, to learn anything and everything about him, but very little of it made sense to her. She saw pictures a man in a black leather jacket, then a different man in an outlandish rainbow-colored coat, then another man in a yellow car. But besides that? Nothing. It didn't say where he was from, how old he was, or anything of the sorts, and that perplexed her. A man as incredible as him, yet no one seems to know him.

She sighed and ran a hand through her hair, just in time to see someone grab her arm and spin her arm so she was walking in the opposite direction. Zana looked up to see none other than the blonde locks of Rose Tyler.

"Rose? What are you doing?" Zana pulled out her earbuds and stuffed them into her pocket.

"Getting you," she smiled at her. "You disappeared last night before I had a chance to introduce you to the Doctor."

"Uh...yeah, sorry," Zana nodded. "How'd you find me?"

"The Doctor. He used the TARDIS."

"Where are they?"

"Right up there," she grinned excitedly, pulling Zana around a corner into a damp alley. The blue police box sat at the very end of it, which Rose seemed very eager to return to. Before Zana could protest, the door opened, and out walked the Doctor, clad in a brown pinstripe suit, trainers, and a tan trench coat.

"You must be Zana Kline," the Doctor gave her a half-smile. "I've heard a lot about you."

"Couldn't have been that much," she commented.

"Well...no."

Rose cleared her throat, interrupting the two of them. "Doctor?"

"What?" he looked over at her, seeming oblivious. She gave him a look, and a look of realization covered his face. "Oh! Yes, right."

"Go on."

"What's going on?" Zana looked between the two of them, confused. What the hell were they doing?

"Zana, Rose and I were wondering...if you would like to come on a trip with us?" the Doctor asked her as he slid his hands into his trouser pockets.

"You'll love it, Zana!" Rose gave her a smile.

"You hardly know me," Zana studied the two of them. "How would you know?"

"Because you seem like the kind of person who loves adventures, and that's the one thing guaranteed with the Doctor. He'll take you wherever you want to go."

"Seriously?" she turned to look at him. "Why do you trust me? I'm a complete stranger to you."

"I don't, particularly, but Rose does. And I trust her," he replied. "So, what's it gonna be?"

"I..." Zana looked between the two travelers, and every fiber of her being was screaming at her to say no. To just walk away and not get involved with them. "The whole Sycorax thing...is something like that going to happen again?"

"If we're lucky."

"Lucky? Doctor, if you don't mind my saying, while you did save the world yesterday, you did destroy Harriet Jones's. She was protecting us."

"She murdered hundreds," his face turned solemn. "She had no right."

"Just as you had no right to bring down her government," she shot back, annoyed. She could tell her and this...Time Lord weren't going to be the best of friends. "So tell me, who's really in the wrong here?"

"Okay, okay," Rose stepped in. "Zana, I'd really enjoy it if you came with us. I need another girl on board the TARDIS, to be quite honest."

Zana sighed. She liked Rose. Rose was a good person, and Zana honestly didn't see why she was with someone like the Doctor. Maybe there was something about the man Zana hadn't figured out yet.

"...okay," Zana reluctantly agreed, making Rose beam. "But only because you asked, Rose."

The Doctor opened the door, "Come on, then."

Zana followed the two of them into the TARDIS and was immediately awe-stricken once more by the beauty of it. She may not be too fond of the Doctor, but she did love his transport.

"It's called the TARDIS. Time And Relative Dimension In Space," the Doctor informed as the doors closed behind her.

"And it's your spaceship," Zana nodded.

"And time machine," Rose told her.

"Really?" she couldn't help but be impressed.

"Really," Rose chuckled as she grabbed onto the console. "So where are we going?"

"Further than we've ever gone before," the Doctor gave her a big smile just as a sound Zana will never forget filled their ears.

The engines of the TARDIS.

~*~*~*~*~

A/N: Broke it into two parts! Hope that helps! :)


	3. New Earth

The TARDIS seemed to lunge forward, causing Zana to fly back against the railing as she watched the Doctor rush around the control panel gleefully. Rose was laughing excitedly as she gripped onto the edge of the console. Zana took that as a good sign. It meant this was how this outrageous machine usually flew. As soon as the turbulence stopped, the Doctor and Rose dashed towards the doors and stepped out, leaving Zana no choice to follow. She closed the door behind her and her eyes widened at the sight before her. Flying cars, a beautiful river, and a rather impressive city.

"It's the year five billion and twenty-three. We're in the galaxy M87, and this? This is New Earth," the Doctor informed the two of them as they stared in awe.

"That's just...That's just..." Rose started to laugh, pushing her hair from her face.

"Not bad. Not bad at all," the Doctor grinned.

"This is a whole new planet!" Zana beamed, allowing her excitement to take over her. "I'm on a new world! Wow..."

"This is amazing...I'll never get used to this. Never!" Rose jumped up and down, smiling at Zana. "Different ground beneath my feet, different sky! What's that smell?"

Zana took a whiff of the air, and immediately noticed the sweet scent that filled it. If it was possible, her smile widened as she spun around, taking in as much as she possibly could. She couldn't quite believe that she was here. After all, she was just on Earth literally minutes before. Now, look at her! Both feet on New Earth, along with side Rose Tyler and the Doctor! Everything seemed so surreal!

"Apple grass," the Doctor reached down and plucked a few blades of it.

"Apple grass!" Rose repeated happily.

"Yeah, yeah," he nodded, a wide grin on his face.

"It's beautiful...Oh, I love this!" Rose looped her arm around the Doctor's, who smiled down at her adoringly. Zana looked on, watching them as they interacted. She wasn't quite sure what they were to each other, but she knew it wasn't any of her business anyway. "Can I just say, traveling with you, I love it."

"Me too," he laced their fingers together. "Come on!"

With that, they took off across the meadow, looking like a very happy couple. But that was probably the last thing on Zana's mind if she was completely honest.

"Is it really necessary to run?" she raised an eyebrow, following after them.

~*~*~*~*~

Rose and the Doctor had been lying down on the apple grass, laughing and talking with each other as they used the Doctor's trench coat as a blanket to sit on. Zana, on the other hand, was just walking around aimlessly, taking in as much of the landscape as she could. Things on New Earth just seemed so...amazing! Everything on New Earth looked so new, yet so familiar, and it fascinated her. Rose was definitely right. She did love this!

"So, the year five billion, the sun expands, the Earth gets roasted," the Doctor was telling Rose, loud enough that Zana could make out what he was saying all the way from where she was standing. She wasn't really surprised knowing that the Earth was roasted. After all, scientists have been talking about it for years.

"That was our first date," Rose replied.

So...they were a couple, then? Zana still hadn't worked it out.

"We had chips," the Doctor smiled softly at the blonde. "So anyway, planet gone, all rocks and dust, but the human race lives on, spread out across the stars. Soon as the Earth burns up, oh yeah, they get all nostalgic, big revival movement, but then find this place. Same size as the Earth, same air, same orbit. Lovely. Call goes out, the humans move in."

"What's the city called?"

"New New York," he told her.

Rose gave him an unbelieving look, "Oh, come on."

"It is! It's the city of New New York!" He laughed. "Strictly speaking, it's the fifteenth New York since the original, so that makes it New New New New New New New New New New New New New New New York...What?"

"You're so different," Rose commented softly, looking over him.

He smiled, "New New Doctor!"

Zana was so invested in their conversation and the world around her, she didn't even notice the small, metal spider creeping its way towards her. It scanned the joyful teen, but it didn't seem satisfied with what it found, so it rushed right past her, towards Rose and the Doctor.

"Zana!" Rose called. Zana turned to see her and the Doctor standing up.

"Yeah?" She called back. "Is it time to go already?"

"Oh, no," Rose chuckled as Zana made their way towards the two. "We're just going to explore the city!"

Zana smiled widely, "Yes!"

"Well, I thought we might go there first," the Doctor informed, pointing to a large skyscraper off in the distance as he pulled on his coat.

"Why, what is it?" Zana glanced at him.

"Some sort of hospital. Green moon on the side. That's the universal symbol for hospitals," he informed as he pulled out a small, leather wallet from his pocket and showed it to her and Rose, "I got this. A message on the psychic paper."

"How...how is it doing that?" Zana asked, seeing the words 'Ward 26. Please Come' flash on the white paper. "What's psychic paper?"

"Shows others what you want them to see," Rose told her with a small smile. "And apparently, it can receive messages as well."

"Someone wants to see me," the Doctor told the two of them.

"Hmm...And I thought we were just sight-seeing," Rose looped her arm around the Doctor's as a wide smile spread across her lips, "Come on, then. Let's go and buy some grapes!"

~*~*~*~*~

"...Bit rich coming from you," Rose commented as the small group entered the larger hospital. Zana's eyes scanned the lobby, feigning calmness. She was bursting with excitement and joy on the inside, which was a first, considering they were in a hospital.

"I can't help it. I don't like hospitals. They give me the creeps," the Doctor shook his head as Zana moved to walk beside him and Rose.

"The Pleasure Gardens will now take visitors carrying green or blue identification cards for the next fifteen minutes. Visitors are reminded that cuttings from the gardens are not permitted," a woman announced over the tannoy.

"Very smart. Not exactly NHS," Rose commented. 

"No shop. I like the little shop," the Doctor said as they came to a stop.

"Why are people still getting sick?" Zana asked the Doctor curiously. "Surely humans have cured everything, yeah?"

"The human race moves on, but so do the viruses. It's an ongoing war," he answered, but Zana hardly heard him. Both of the women had just noticed what the nurses looked like. They were...well...

"They're cats!" Rose whispered, pointing at the one who had just walked past them.

"How are they cats?" Zana kept her eyes on the retreating form, trying to understand what was going on.

"Now, don't stare. Think what you look like to them, all pink and yellow and pink and brown, " he looked over the two of them before pointing over Rose's shoulder. "That's where I'd put the shop. Right there!"

Zana quickly followed him as he started towards the lifts. She was hoping he'd lead her to more cat nurses! Or better yet, some more aliens!

"Ward 26, thanks!" he said once they were standing inside the lift.

"Rose! Come on!" Zana called as the doors closed.

"Hold on! Hold on!" Rose exclaimed as she rushed towards the elevator, but she wasn't quick enough.

"Oh, too late. We're going up," the Doctor said.

"It's all right, there's another lift," Rose replied faintly.

"Ward 26," he informed. "And watch out for the disinfectant."

"Watch out for what?" Zana asked, just as Rose did.

"The disinfectant!"

"The what?" Rose asked loudly, obviously not able to hear him.

"The disin- Oh, you'll find out," he waved her off as the lift started ascending. Zana rested her hands in the pockets of her jacket, waiting for them to get to their floor, when suddenly-

"Commence stage one. Disinfection."

She let out a loud shout as the Doctor and her became drenched in some sort of liquid.

"Bloody hell!" she exclaimed, pushing her soaked hair from her eyes as the Doctor laughed. Just when she thought it was over, a white, powdery substance covered them. "What the hell is this?!"

The Doctor just laughed some more air a fast rush of air-filled the lift, drying them. Zana looked at him like he was insane, but after a second or so, she started cracking up as well. His laugh was infectious, she thought to herself. She rather liked it.

Soon, the lift came to a stop and the two stepped out, still laughing to themselves. Immediately, they were greeted by another cat nurse, which didn't really help Zana's laughing situation. She wasn't laughing to be rude, oh no, she was laughing from excitement.

"Welcome," the nurse greeted, and somehow, Zana managed to compose herself. She couldn't look at the Doctor, though, because it seemed that he was having just as much trouble keeping a straight face.

"Hello," the Doctor nodded as the nurse offered to lead them through the ward. They accepted, and they started walking. "Nice place. No shop, downstairs. I'd have a shop. Not a big one. Just a shop, so people can shop."

The nurse took off her veil, revealing her cat-like features. Zana tried not to stare, she really did. "The hospital is a place of healing."

"A shop does some people the world of good. Not me...Other people."

"The Sisters of Plentitude take a lifelong vow to help, and to mend," she informed as Zana caught sight of a large man. She looked on in confusion, trying to decipher just what exactly was happening to him. His skin was grey in color, and it seemed he had much difficulty moving.

"Excuse me! Members of the public may only gaze upon the Duke of Manhattan with written permission from the Senate of New New York!" the man's assistant, a very posh blonde lady, exclaimed, making Zana step back and apologize.

"That's Petrifold Regression, right?" the Doctor asked the man.

"I'm dying, sir. A lifetime of charity and abstinence, and it ends like this," the man seemed annoyed, amusing Zana. She never knew of anyone being annoyed with dying. Afraid? Yeah. But annoyed?

"Any statements made by the Duke of Manhattan may not be made public without official clearance," his assistant informed professionally. Zana rolled her eyes.

"Frau Clovis! I'm so weak," the man reached for her, and she immediately went to him. 

"Sister Jatt! A little privacy, please!" she glared at the Doctor and Zana.

Sister Jatt nodded, leading the two away from Duke of Manhattan and his assistant, "He'll be up and about in no time."

"I doubt it. Petrifold Regression? He's turning to stone. There won't be a cure for oh, a thousand years?" The Doctor scratched head. "He might be up and about, but only as a statue."

"How is that even a disease?" Zana asked, looking around at all the different patients. There was a man, red from head to toe, suspended in air, along with a man covered in white from head to toe as well. But Zana's eyes landed on something rather...strange. Sitting off, away from the others, there was a large head. In a glass container. She studied it, trying to figure out what it could possibly be.

"Have faith in the Sisterhood. But is there no one here you recognize? It's rather unusual to visit without knowing the patient," Sister Jatt asked of the Doctor.

"No, I think I've found him," he smiled, following Zana's gaze to find his old friend.

"Novice Hame, if I can leave these people in your care?" Sister Jatt asked of the younger cat creature, who Zana smiled at.

"Oh, I think my friend got lost. Rose Tyler," the Doctor informed as Jatt turned to leave. "Could you ask at reception?"

"Certainly, sir," she nodded before walking off.

"I'm afraid the Face of Boe's asleep. That's all he tends to do these days. Are you his friends, or...?" Novice Hame asked softly.

"We met just the once on Platform One," the Doctor told her.

"And this is the first time I've met him," Zana informed quietly, watching the sleeping figure. "What's wrong with him?"

"I'm so sorry. I thought you knew," she replied softly. "The Face of Boe is dying."

"Of what?" Zana frowned.

"Old age. The one thing we can't cure...He's thousands of years old. Some people say millions, although that's impossible," she chuckled lightly.

"Oh, I don't know. I like impossible," the Doctor smiled at her before crouching down in front of the Face of Boe. "I'm here...I look a bit different, but it's me, it's the Doctor."

"Who is he?" Zana bent down beside him. "Is he really that old?"

The Doctor looked at her, "I haven't got a clue...he's a mystery to me."

"Is he good?"

"He's harmless," he rested his hand against the glass, watching as the Face of Boe stirred in his sleep.

Zana looked over the Doctor and let out a small sigh. She honestly didn't know what to think of him yet. One minute, he's saving the world, the next he's bringing down governments, then the next he's laughing on New Earth without a care in the universe. Zana won't lie. She was certainly intrigued by him...but she didn't know just how much she wanted to learn about him. He could be the best man she's ever met, or even possibly her worst nightmare. Maybe both...

~*~*~*~*~

"Hope, harmony, and health. Hope, harmony, and health," a woman over the tannoy was saying as Zana sat down in front of the Face of Boe. The Doctor had gone to get himself something to drink, but she was fine with that. She was perfectly content sitting with Boe. She was watching him as he stirred in his sleep, pondering what could possibly be on the ancient being's mind. He must have seen so much in his life. Wars, discoveries, civilizations being created and destroyed...She was willing to bet that he had some amazing stories.

"That's very kind. There's no need," Novice Hame's voice made her turn around.

"You're the one working," the Doctor smiled as he handed her a cup of water. Zana accepted the cup he offered her and smiled as she took a drink.

"There's not much to do, just maintain his smoke. And I suppose I'm company. I can hear him singing, sometimes, in my mind. Such ancient songs..." Novice Hame said softly.

"Are we the only visitors?" Zana asked her without taking her eyes off of Boe.

"The rest of Boe-kind became extinct long ago. He's the only one left. Legend says that the Face of Boe has watched the universe grow old. There's all sorts of superstitions around him. One story says that just before his death, the Face of Boe will impart his great secret, that he will speak those words only to one like himself."

"What does that mean?" the Doctor raised an eyebrow.

"It's just a story," she shook her head.

"Tell us the rest."

She thought for a second, "It's said he'll talk to a wanderer. To the man without a home. The lonely god."

"Bit pretentious," Zana commented, earning a look from the Doctor, but of course she didn't see. Her eyes were locked on the Face of Boe.

~*~*~*~*~

"Doctor?" Zana called as she stood up. Her legs had gone to sleep, so she decided to get her blood circulating again.

"Hmm?" he up from his conversation with Hame.

"Where's Rose? Shouldn't she be here by now?" she walked over to the two, brushing the dust from her jeans. Not that she even had to, this hospital was spotless.

"Good question..." he thought for a moment. "Novice Hame, would you happen to have a telephone I could borrow?"

"Of course," she nodded politely. "Just around the corner. You can't miss it."

"Thank you," Zana smiled before making her way over to it, with the Doctor close behind. Just as she reached for the white phone, the Doctor grabbed it and dialed Rose's number. He gave Zana a cheeky smile as he pressed it to his ear. "Very funny."

"Where've you been?" He asked as Rose answered. "How long does it take to get to Ward 26?"

"I'm on my way, governor," Rose replied. "I shall proceed up the apples and pear."

"You'll never guess! Zana and I are with the Face of Boe!" the Doctor smiled widely. "Remember him?"

Zana frowned at Rose's laugh. It sounded forced. "Of course I do...that big old...boe race."

"I'd better go. See you in a minute..." the Doctor said as he hung up the phone. Zana noticed him staring at something, and followed his gaze to see him looking at the Duke of Manhattan, who was laughing and smiling away. As the two of them walked closer, she noticed that his skin had returned to normal.

"Didn't think I was going to make it!" The Duke laughed. "It's that couple again! They're my good luck charm. Come in! Don't be shy!"

"Any friendship expressed by the Duke of Manhattan does not constitute a form of a legal contract," his assistant informed immediately.

"Winch me up. Up!" The Duke ordered, and she pressed a button on her remote, lifting his head up so he could see better. "Look at me. No sign of infection."

"Champagne, sir? Ma'am?" A waiter walked up to the Doctor and Zana as they stood there, bewildered.

"No, thanks," the Doctor waved him off before looking back at the Duke. "You had Petrifold Regression, right?"

"That being the operative word. Past tense. Completely cured!"

"But that's impossible."

"Primitive species would accuse us of magic, but it's merely the tender application of science," another cat nurse stepped up to the group, making Zana jump a bit. She hadn't seen her.

"How on Earth did you cure him?" the Doctor asked the nurse.

"How on New Earth, you might say."

"What's in that solution?"

"A simple remedy."

"Then tell me what it is."

"I'm sorry. Patient confidentiality. I don't believe we've met. My name is Matron Casp."

"I'm Zana Kline. Hello," she nodded, feeling like she ought to join in.

"I'm the Doctor," he gave her a smile.

"I think you'll find that we're the doctors here," Casp gave him a look.

"Matron Casp, you're needed in Intensive Care," Sister Jatt interrupted, walking up to them.

"If you would excuse me," Casp gave them a smile before following Jatt.

"Why do I have the feeling something is going on here?" Zana whispered to the Doctor as he watched the two nurses walk away. She didn't like the way the Doctor had said that the Duke being cured was impossible. Surely he knew what he was talking about, right? After all, he is a doctor. Well, at least she thought he was.

"Because I think something is," he took in a deep breath before looking down at her. "Everything is just...too advanced."

"How is that possible?" she looked up and for a split second, their eyes locked onto each other. All her thoughts seemed to vanish from her head as she looked into his eyes, which she could only describe as...ancient. They were a lovely chestnut color, but she didn't pay any mind to that. She could tell, just by his eyes, that he was much older than he looked.

"I...I uh...I'm not sure yet," he cleared his throat. "But I think we should figure it out."

"Yeah..." Zana shook her head, snapping out of her trance-like state.

What the hell had just happened?

~*~*~*~*~

"Ambient temperature stands at fourteen degrees. This temperature is designed to promote healing and well-being," Zana muttered along with the woman over the tannoy, having heard it multiple times in the past five minutes alone. She was watching the Doctor look around each cubicle, inspecting all the different patients as Rose wandered into the ward. Zana didn't take notice of how her walk had changed, or how her shirt was just a tad lower than before. All she cared about was that she was okay.

"Rose! Hey!" Zana smiled, walking over to the confused looking woman. "What took you so long?"

"Ran into a wee bit of trouble," Rose gave her an exaggerated smile, but Zana didn't seem to notice. It seemed like Rose was always smiling at her.

"There you are! Come and look at this patient!" The Doctor rushed over to the two women and grabbed Rose's arm, pulling her over to the red patient Zana was examining earlier. Zana followed them, wanting to learn what was wrong with the poor man. "Marconi's Disease. Should take years to recover. Two days. I've never seen anything like it! They've invented a cell washing cascade. It's amazing. Their medical science is way advanced. And this one," he leads them over to the man who was a bright white from head to toe. "Pallidome Pancrosis. Kills you in ten minutes, and he's fine," he smiled at the man before leaning down to whisper to Rose. "I need to find a terminal. I've got to see how they do this," Zana followed as they started to walk off. "Because if they've got the best medicine in the world, then why is it such a secret?"

"I can't Adam and Eve it," Rose stopped and looked around, making Zana raise an eyebrow. Something was off.

"What's...what's...what's with the voice?" the Doctor asked, having noticed as well.

"Oh, I don't know. Just larking about. New Earth, new me..."

"Well, I can talk. New New Doctor," he smiled at her.

"Mmm, aren't you just..." Rose's eyes traveled over him before she grabbed him and pressed their lips together in a long, hard kiss. Zana watched in shock, trying to figure out what the hell was going on. Hell, maybe nothing was wrong. Maybe the Doctor and Rose just randomly snogged in the middle of adventures. She didn't know.

"T-T-Terminal's this way..." Rose breathed as they pulled apart. Zana looked between them, seeing that both of them seemed pretty shocked. Guessing they didn't randomly kiss, then. "Phew..." Rose let out a puff of air as she started to walk ahead of the Doctor and Zana.

"Yep, still got it," the Doctor ran a hand through his hair before following after her.

"Okay then. Don't know what to think of that," Zana muttered, walking after them. She caught up with them at the computer terminal. The Doctor was scanning the computer with the...oh, what was it? Sonic...sonic screwdriver!

"Nope, nothing odd," he commented as he looking over the computer screen. "Surgery, post-op, nano-dentistry. No sign of a shop. They should have a shop."

Rose stepped forward, "No, it's missing something else. When I was downstairs, those Nurse Cat Nuns were talking about Intensive Care. Where is it?"

"You're right. Well done," he gave her a look.

"Why would they hide a whole department? It's got to be there somewhere. Search the sub-frame."

"What if the sub-frame's locked?"

"Try the installation protocol," she told him as though he was daft.

"Yeah. Of course. Sorry. Hold on..." he held the sonic screwdriver to the computer screen. Zana jumped back a bit when the wall slid down, revealing a corridor. The Doctor looked at her and chuckled as they started walking, "Intensive Care. Certainly looks intensive."

~*~*~*~*~

Rose was leading the Doctor and Zana down a flight of stairs, paying no mind to either of them. Zana was starting to worry about her, but she knew it was probably nothing. After all, she didn't know Rose all that well. For all she knew, it could be normal for her to act like this.

But she doubted it.

The Doctor stopped walking and moved to a green door, one of the hundreds that were in view. Zana watched as he pressed the screwdriver to a switch and flashed it, and instantly regretted doing so as he moved forward to open the door. She gasped and placed a hand over her mouth, stepping back. Sitting inside the small cubicle was a man, who seemed to be suffering from a horrendous disease.

"That's disgusting," Rose commented, unfazed. "What's wrong with him?"

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry..." the Doctor said softly before closing the door and moving onto the next. Zana closed her eyes once she saw that a woman, who was also infected, was sitting inside, obviously in pain.

"What disease is that?" Zana asked him quietly.

"All of them. Every single disease in the galaxy. They've been infected with everything," he answered her with a serious tone, making her open her eyes. He seemed...upset. Possibly more upset than she was at the moment.

"What about us? Are we safe?" Rose asked him quickly.

"The air's sterile. Just don't touch them," he informed as he closed the door.

"How many patients are there like this, Doctor?" Zana turned and looked at all the green doors that were organized at multiple levels.

"They're not patients," he joined her at the railing, clearly angry.

"But they're sick," Rose frowned.

"They were born sick. They're meant to be sick. They exist to be sick. Lab rats! No wonder the Sisters have got a cure for everything. They've built the ultimate research laboratory. A human farm," he spat, disgusted.

"Why don't they just die?" Rose pondered as they started to make their way back to the ward.

"Plague carriers. The last to go," the Doctor stopped and looked over the doors once more. Zana completely understood by he was upset this time because she was upset as well. She knew those cat nurses were just way too good to be true.

"It's for the greater cause," the familiar voice of Novice Hame made the Doctor and Zana turn towards her.

"Novice Hame," the Doctor stepped towards her. "When you took your vows, did you agree to this?"

"The Sisterhood has sworn to help," Hame walked closer to them.

"What, by killing?!" He shouted, making Zana step back. She already knew she didn't like it when he was cross.

"But they're not real people. They're specially grown. They have no proper existence," Hame tried to argue.

"What's the turnover, hmm? Thousand a day? Thousand the next? Thousand the next? How many thousands? For how many years? How many?!" the Doctor's voice grew louder with every question.

"Mankind needed us. They came to this planet with so many illnesses. We couldn't cope. We did try. We tried everything. We tried using clone-meat and bio-cattle, but the results were too slow, so the Sisterhood grew its own flesh. That's all they are. Flesh."

"These people are alive!"

"But think of those Humans out there, healthy and happy, because of us."

"If they live because of this, then life is worthless!"

"But who are you to decide that?" She questioned.

"I'm the Doctor," he moved even closer to her. "And if you don't like it, if you want to take it to a higher authority, then there isn't one. It stops with me."

Rose moved forward as well, pushing Zana to the side a bit to get past her, making her frown. "Just to confirm. None of the humans in the city actually know about this?"

"We thought it best not," Hame shook her head.

"Hold on. I can understand the bodies. I can understand your vows. One thing I can't understand. What have you done to Rose?" the Doctor asked suddenly, the anger evident in his tone.

"I don't know what you mean," Hame frowned, confused.

"And I'm being very, very calm. You want to be aware of that. Very, very calm. And the only reason I'm being so very, very calm is that the brain is a delicate thing. Whatever you've done to Rose's head, I want it reversed!"

"We haven't done anything!"

"Doctor, I think she's telling the truth," Zana spoke up, seeing how affected by this he was becoming. Nothing good came out of him being angry.

"I'm perfectly fine," Rose spoke up, rolling her eyes.

"These people are dying, and Rose would care," the Doctor turned towards the blonde.

"Oh, all right, clever clogs. Smartypants..." she tugged on his silk tie, which was tucked into his jacket, using it to pull him closer to her. "Lady-killer..."

"What's happened to you?" he frowned, his anger turning into concern.

"I knew something was going on in this hospital, but I needed this body and your mind to find it out."

"Who are you?" he demanded.

She leaned in closer and whispered into the Time Lord's ear, "The last human."

"Cassandra?" he moved back quickly, bumping into Zana in the process. She wasn't paying any mind, though. She was too worried about her friend.

"Wake up and smell the perfume!" Rose smiled before spraying an unknown substance into the Doctor's face. Zana just managed to catch his head before it hit the hard ground.

"What the hell is going on?" Zana demanded of Cassandra, knowing that it couldn't possibly be her friend who had done this.

"Oh, darling, I would love to tell you. But you just aren't worth my time," Cassandra gave Zana a smile before spraying her in the face as well, sending the brunette into unconsciousness.

~*~*~*~*~

A/N: Chapter 3, huh? Hmm...I hope I'm doing okay. I know we haven't learned much about Zana just yet, but we will coming up soon! I can promise you that! :)


	4. New Earth Pt. 2

"Ugh..." Zana groaned as her eyes fluttered open. Her head was pounding and her wrists were screaming out in pain, but that was the least of her worries. She was more concerned with the person possessing Rose at the moment.

"Ah, you're awake," Cassandra was standing right in front of her, a smug smile playing at her lips. 

"It appears I am, yes," Zana retorted. "Tell me, how did you even manage to tie me to this railing thing?"

"Oh, I didn't. Chip did."

Zana raised an eyebrow, "Chip?"

"I serve the mistress," a man's voice made her turn her neck as much as she could. From what she could see, she was guessing he wasn't human. His skin was as very pale, and he had red markings all over his face and what little of his arms Zana could see.

"Why tie me up anyway?" she asked, careful not to tug at her restraints. They were extremely tight, and the rope wasn't taking kindly to her skin. "Where did you even get the rope? What the hell is going on, Cassandra?"

"I ask the questions," Cassandra informed.

"Where's the Doctor?" Zana glared at her.

"What did I just say?"

"I don't know, I was too busy asking questions. Now answer them."

Cassandra glared at her, "Who are you?"

"I'm Zana Kline. A friend of Rose's. And I guess the Doctor as well, I haven't quite decided. Now, if I ask nicely, will you let me go, and leave Rose's head?"

"You're new to this whole thing, aren't you?"

"New to what?"

"Traveling."

"How do you know?"

"I'm inside blondie's head, remember?" she smirked.

"Okay. So I'm guessing asking nicely won't help." Then something donned on her. "Where's the Doctor? What have you done to him?"

She gave Zana a laugh, "Why are you worried about him?"

"Mostly because he's my ride," Zana rolled her eyes.

"Let me out! Let me out!" the Doctor's shouts rang out, and Zana realized just where he was. Oh no.

Cassandra smiled widely before walking over to the cell the Doctor was being held in, "Aren't you lucky there was a spare? Standing room only."

"You've stolen Rose's body!" he exclaimed.

"Over the years, I've thought of a thousand ways to kill you, Doctor. And now, that's exactly what I've got. One thousand diseases. They pump the patients with a top-up every ten minutes. You've got about three minutes left," she stepped back. "Enjoy."

"Just let Rose go, Cassandra."

"I will. As soon as I've found someone younger, and less common, then I'll junk her with the waste. Now hushaby! It's showtime."

Zana shook her head, "Use me, Cassandra. Just leave Rose alone!"

"Zana, no," the Doctor said sternly, but she didn't care. He wasn't her boss.

Cassandra turned to Zana, looking her over. Zana tried to keep a brave face, but she was terrified. She trusted that the Doctor would save her, but she couldn't tell you why. There was something about him that made her feel...safe.

"Are you volunteering?" Cassandra stepped closer to her.

"Yes."

"Then who am I to refuse?"

Before Zana could reply, a flash of red light left Rose's body. Rose stumbled back, pressing a hand to her forehead. "My head..." she looked around. "Where'd she go?"

"Blimey," Cassandra said, using Zana's voice. "Massive change. Okay. Chip, release me."

"Yes, mistress," Chip nodded and got to work.

"Anything we can do to help?" Sister Jatt walked in, along with Sister Casp.

"Straight to the point, Whiskers. I want money," Cassandra rubbed at her new wrists, trying to ignore the stinging. She could hear that Zana complaining in her head, and that was almost enough for her to go back into Rose.

"The Sisterhood is a charity. We don't give money. We only accept," Casp informed.

"The humans across the water pay you a fortune, and that's exactly what I need. A one-off payment, that's all I want. Oh, and perhaps a yacht. In return for which, I shall tell the city nothing of your institutional murder. Is that a deal?"

"I'm afraid not."

"I'd really advise you to think about this," Cassandra glared, growing frustrated.

"Oh, there's no need. I have to decline."

"I'll tell them, and you've no way of stopping me! You're not exactly Nuns with Guns. You're not even armed!"

"Who needs arms when we have claws?" Casp held up her hand, and her claws shot from her fingertips.

Cassandra instantly stepped back, "Well, nice try. Chip? Plan B!"

Chip shuffled forward and pulled back a lever, letting all of the diseased people, along with the Doctor, out of confinement. Cassandra watched out of Zana's eyes as he pulled Rose close to him.

"What've you done?" he snapped at Cassandra, but she didn't seem fazed.

"Gave the system a shot of adrenaline, just to wake them up. See you!" She turned and ran off, leaving a stunned Rose waiting with the Doctor.

Zana could feel her legs moving, she could hear the moans of pains the patients were emitting, she could see the sparks that shot from the locks on the doors as she rushed past them, but she couldn't do anything about it. It was like she was stuck in her own body...well, she was stuck. All she could do was wait for the Doctor, or maybe even Rose, to do something to fix it.

"Oh, my God..." Cassandra breathed as she stopped by the stairs. Every single door was opening, letting all the hundreds of patients escape. 

"What the hell have you done?" the Doctor demanded.

"It wasn't me!"

"One touch and you get every disease in the world!"

"And I want Zana in one piece," Rose glared at her.

"We've got to go down," the Doctor informed as patients converged upon them.

"But there's thousands of them!" Cassandra cried.

"Run! Down! Down! Go down!" the Doctor gave Zana's body a push, and Cassandra let out a distressed cry as she took off down the steps.

"This building is under quarantine," the tannoy announced loudly, but the group hardly heard it over the patients' cries of pain. "Repeat, this building is under quarantine. No one may leave the premises. Repeat, no one may leave the premises."

"Keep going! Go down!" the Doctor ordered.

If Zana could, she would have rolled her eyes as Cassandra led them to a call lift. Didn't Cassandra know how a call lift worked?

"No, the lifts have closed down. That's the quarantine. Nothing's moving!" the Doctor told her quickly.

"This way!" Cassandra ran back in the direction they had come in.

"Someone will touch him!" she heard the Doctor exclaim and turned to see Chip had been trapped by the patients.

"Leave him! He's just a clone thing. He's only got a half-life. Come on!" Cassandra ran back and grabbed the Doctor's arm.

"Mistress!" Chip cried.

A pang of guilt shot through Zana as Cassandra ran off again, and she knew that it certainly wasn't her guilt she was feeling. 

"I'm sorry, we can't let her escape," the Doctor called to him, taking Rose's hand as they rushed after her.

"My Mistress!"

~*~*~*~*~

"There's no way we're going to escape. How can we? Every door you open, there are dozens of sick patients behind it. The Doctor seems angry, Rose seems worried beyond relief, and all I feel is annoyed," Zana was saying to Cassandra. She had learned they could communicate when she accidentally let out a curse when they ran into a group of patients, and Cassandra actually scolded her for it.

"Can you shut up for one second? You're becoming more annoying than blondie," Cassandra retorted as she led the Doctor and Rose into her lair. The Doctor shut the door behind them and soniced it closed.

"Be nice," Zana told her.

Cassandra rolled Zana's eyes as she rushed to the other side of the room and threw open the door. Again, there were patients behind it, so she slammed it close and turned towards the other two. "We're trapped! What am I going to do?"

"Well, for starters, you're going to leave that body. That psychograft is banned on every civilized planet. You're compressing Zana to death," the Doctor informed. Zana wished she'd known that before volunteering for this.

"But I've got nowhere to go! Zana won't let me use Rose, and my original skin's dead!"

"Not my problem. You can float as atoms in the air. Now, get out."

"You asked for it," Cassandra glared at him before Zana felt dizziness wash over. Suddenly having complete control over her own body overwhelmed her as she stumbled forward. Luckily, Rose steadied her.

"Are you alright, Zana?" she asked.

"I'm fine, yeah," Zana nodded. "Where'd she go? Do you know?"

"Oh, my. This is different," the Doctor said, answering her question.

"Cassandra?" Rose called.

"Goodness me, I'm a man!" Cassandra exclaimed as the Doctor, making Zana cover her mouth with her hand. "Yum. So many parts...And hardly used," Cassandra started moving the Doctor's body. "Oh, oh, two hearts! Oh, baby, I'm beating out a samba!"

"Get out of him," Rose demanded weakly.

"Ooh, he's slim, and a little bit foxy. You've thought so too! I've been inside your head. You've been looking...You like it," Cassandra moved towards Rose, who looked down, embarrassed. Just then, the door burst open and the diseased people wandered in. "What do we do? What would he do? The Doctor, what the hell would he do?"

Zana looked around, "Ladder. We've got to get up!"

"Out of the way, blondie!" Cassandra pushed past Rose and hurried up the ladder. Zana let Rose go before her, which she wasn't sure why. She was terrified! There were...zombies chasing after them!

"Please, help us. Help..." one of the patients called as they started up the ladder after Zana.

~*~*~*~*~

Zana's arms were growing tired as they slowly made their way up the lift shaft, but the patients weren't far behind at all. She was starting to think that this was it. This was how she was going to die.

"If you get out of the Doctor's body, he can think of something!" Rose called to Cassandra.

"Yap, yap, yap. God, it was tedious inside your head. Hormone city," Cassandra rolled her eyes.

"We're going to die if-"

"Get off!" Zana exclaimed as Sister Casp grabbed her ankle, tugging on it. Zana's grip on the steps tightened, not wanting to be pulled off.

"All our good work. All that healing. The good name of the Sisterhood. You have destroyed everything!" Casp hissed at her.

"Go and play with a ball of string," Cassandra called down to her,

"Everywhere, disease. This is the human world. Sickness!"

Zana watched in horror as a patient grabbed onto Casp's ankle, and within seconds, she was infected with everything. Just as Zana was about to panic, the diseased cat fell, leaving the patient just steps behind her. "Move!" she shouted.

"Maximum quarantine. Divert all shuttles," the tannoy alerted as Cassandra tried the escape hatch, but nothing happened.

"Help us..." the patients whispered. Zana could feel her heart in her chest, and it probably wasn't helping that she couldn't hold on to well. Her hands were shaking too badly.

"Now what do we do?" Cassandra asked hurriedly.

"Use the sonic screwdriver," Zana yelled quickly. Apparently, that thing unlocked everything.

Cassandra pulled the said object from the Doctor's jacket and held it up, "You mean this thing?"

"Yes, I mean that thing!"

" Well, I don't know how. That Doctor's hidden away all his thoughts!" 

"Cassandra, go back into me. The Doctor can open it. Do it!" Rose demanded.

"Hold on tight," Cassandra muttered before transferring into Rose, "Oh, chavtastic again. Open it!"

"Not till you get out of her," the Doctor pointed the sonic at Rose.

"We need the Doctor!"

"I order you to leave her!" He shouted angrily, and within seconds, Cassandra was possessing him again."No matter how difficult the situation, there is no need to shout."

"Cassandra, get out of him!" Zana cried, on the verge of tears. The patients were getting closer and closer.

"But I can't go into Rose, he simply refuses. He's so rude!" 

"Then go into me! It's not bloody rocket science, is it?!"

"Don't you dare," Rose glared at Cassandra.

Cassandra sighed, "Oh, I am so going to regret this." Zana watched as she left the Doctor and moved to the patient right beneath her. "Oh, sweet Lord. I look disgusting!"

The Doctor took that time to open the lift hatch. The three of them quickly made their way through it, but it wasn't quick enough. Zana's head went fuzzy as Cassandra took over her body once more.

"That was your last warning, Cassandra!" the Doctor yelled as Zana's body slid down the wall. A distraught look was on her face as she sat there in silence.

"What's wrong?" Rose asked softly.

"Inside her head...They're so alone. They keep reaching out, just to hold us. All their lives and they've never been touched..." Cassandra's, well, Zana's voice started to tremble. Zana could feel exactly how Cassandra felt, and it was truly heartbreaking...

"Here," the Doctor offered her a hand and helped her up.

~*~*~*~*~

"We're safe! We're safe! We're safe! We're clean! We're clean! Look, look!" the Doctor exclaimed as they walked back into Ward 26. The Duke's assistant was charging at them with a chair, surprisingly.

"Show me your skin," she demanded.

"Look, clean. Look, if we'd been touched, we'd be dead," the Doctor informed. "So how's it going up here? What's the status?"

"There's nothing but silence from the other wards. I think we're the only ones left. And I've been trying to override the quarantine. If I can trip a signal over to New New York, they can send a private executive squad."

"You can't do that. If they forced entry, they'd break quarantine!"

"I am not dying in here!"

"We can't let a single particle of disease get out. There are ten million people in that city. They'd all be at risk," he glared. "Now, turn that off!"

"Not if it gets me out!"

He took a deep breath, "All right, fine. So I have to stop you lot as well. Suits me," he rushed forward. "Rose, Zana, Novice Hame, everyone! Excuse me, your Grace!" He reached forward and grabbed the Duke's silk rope, "Get me intravenous solutions for every single disease. Move it!"

Zana watched as everyone started grabbing the many bags of solutions and handing them to the Doctor, who was tying the rope around himself. Cassandra grabbed a few and handed them to him as well, helping him put them on the rope.

"How's that? Will that do?" he looked up at Cassandra, who shook her head.

"I don't know. Will it do for what?" she asked.

She followed him through the ward, frowning when he soniced the doors to a lift open.

"The lifts aren't working!"

"Not moving. Different thing. Here we go!"

Cassandra watched in horror as he started to run.

"But you're not going to-" she stopped when he jumped and grabbed onto the cable. "What do you think you're doing?"

"I'm going down! Come on!" he called to her as he attached a round piece of equipment onto the cable.

"Not in a million years!" Cassandra shook her head, and Zana agreed with her. There was no bloody way she was going to freaking jump.

"I need another pair of hands. What do you think? If you're so desperate to stay alive, why don't you live a little?" the Doctor looked at her. 

"Seal the door!" the Duke's assistant's voice rang out, and Cassandra turned to see the infected patients moving towards her.

"Don't you dare," Zana hissed in her mind, but Cassandra wasn't listening. Instead, she rushed forward and jumped onto the Doctor's back with a shout.

"You're completely mad. I can see why Zana's interested in you," Cassandra breathed.

"Going down!" the Doctor didn't seem to take any mind to the comment as they suddenly started falling down the cable. Cassandra was crying out, terrified for her life, as the Doctor laughed. Luckily for Zana, it didn't last long.

"Well, that's one way to lose weight," Cassandra commented as they stopped on top of the lift.

"Now, listen. When I say so, take hold of that lever," the Doctor instructed.

"There's still a quarantine down there, we can't-"

"Hold that lever! I'm cooking up a cocktail. I know a bit about medicine myself," the Doctor started biting the ends off the packages of solutions and pouring them into the disinfectant tank on top of the lift. Cassandra watched as the Doctor opened the hatch on top of the lift and moved to jump down. "Now, that lever's going to resist. But keep it in position. Hold onto it with everything you've got!"

What about you?" Cassandra asked, taking hold of the lever.

"I've got an appointment. The Doctor is in." With that, he jumped down and used the sonic screwdriver to open the lift doors. "I'm in here! Come on!"

"Don't tell them!" Cassandra huffed.

"Pull that lever!" he ordered as the infected wandered towards him. Cassandra pulled the back, doing as told. "Come and get me! Come on! I'm in here! Come on!"

"Commence stage one disinfectant," the tannoy announced.

"Hurry up! Come on! Come on, come on!" Zana heard the Doctor say happily, but she couldn't see a thing. "All they want to do is pass it on. Pass it on!"

"Pass on what? Pass on what?" Cassandra demanded.

"Pass it on!"

Cassandra let go of the lever when the contents of the disinfectant tank had been emptied and moved to jump down from the lift hatch. The Doctor helped her down, which Zana was grateful for. The last thing she needed was a broken ankle. "What did they pass on? Did you kill them? All of them?"

"No. That's your way of doing things," the Doctor, who was soaking wet, retorted. Cassandra followed him as he walked out into the lobby, "I'm the Doctor, and I cured them!" A woman walked up and embraced the Doctor, who happily hugged her back. "That's right. Hey, there we go, sweetheart! Go to him. Go on, that's it. That's it," he turned to look at Cassandra, "It's a new sub-species, Cassandra. A brand new form of life. New humans! Look at them. Look! Grown by cats, kept in the dark, fed by tubes, but completely, completely alive. You can't deny them, because you helped create them. The human race just keeps on going, keeps on changing. Life will out! Ha!"

If she could, Zana would smile as wide as she could. She was so happy to find out that the Doctor was a good man. A man she's glad she's had the fortune to meet.

~*~*~*~*~

"This is the NNYPD. Please step away from the shuttles," the tannoy announced overhead as the Doctor, Cassandra, and Zana made their way back to Ward 26."All staff will present themselves to the officers for immediate arrest. I repeat, immediate arrest. All new life forms will be cataloged and taken into care. All visitors to the hospital will be required to make a statement to the NNYPD."

"Doctor!" Rose rushed forward and pulled him into a hug. "You did it!"

"Course I did," he smiled widely as she pulled away and pulled Cassandra into a hug as well.

"Zana! Are you okay?"

"Still Cassandra," she answered, making Rose jump back quickly.

"The Face of Boe!" the Doctor exclaimed suddenly and rushed towards him. "You were supposed to be dying!"

"There are better things to do today. Dying can wait," Zana heard an old voice inside of her head.

"Oh, I hate telepathy. Just what I need, a head full of big face," Cassandra muttered, making the Doctor shush her.

"I have grown tired with the universe, Doctor, but you have taught me to look at it anew."

"There are legends, you know, saying that you're millions of years old."

"There are? That would be impossible."

"Wouldn't it just," the Doctor thought a moment. "I got the impression there was something you wanted to tell me."

"A great secret."

"So the legend says."

"It can wait."

"Oh, does it have to?" the Doctor pouted.

"We shall meet again, Doctor, for the third time, for the last time, and the truth shall be told. Until that day..." Zana watched as he teleported away. Wow. Talk about dramatic.

"That is enigmatic. That, that is, that is textbook enigmatic..." the Doctor stood up from his crouched position and turned to Cassandra. "And now for you."

"But everything's happy. Everything's fine. Can't you just leave me?" Cassandra asked.

"Are you daft?" Zana asked her internally.

"You've lived long enough. Leave that body and end it, Cassandra," the Doctor demanded.

"I don't want to die!" Cassandra started to panic.

"No one does."

"Help me!" she exclaimed.

"I can't," the Doctor shook his head.

"Mistress!" Chip's voice rang out suddenly.

"Oh, you're alive!" Cassandra turned towards him.

"I kept myself safe for you, mistress," he informed happily.

Cassandra grinned. "A body...And not just that, a volunteer!"

"Don't you dare. He's got a life of his own," the Doctor glared.

"But I worship the mistress. I welcome her," Chip didn't take his eyes off Cassandra.

"You can't, Cassandra, you-" the Doctor started, but Cassandra wasn't listening. Once again, Zana nearly fell as dizziness washed over her, but she felt a pair of arms wrap around her, keeping her from collapsing to the floor.

"Oh! You all right?" the Doctor asked her. She went to nod, but that didn't help her dizziness whatsoever as she stumbled forward. "Whoa! Okay?"

"Yeah, I think I am..." Zana gulped, looking down at her hands as she moved her fingers. She smiled, glad she had control, before looking up at the Doctor. "Hello!"

"Hello. Welcome back," he smiled as well.

"Zana," Rose pulled her friend into a hug. "How are you feeling?"

"Great," Zana chuckled, happily hugging Rose back. "And you?"

"I'm fantastic!" she grinned.

"Oh, sweet Lord. I'm a walking doodle," Cassandra made them turn around to see her looking over Chip's body.

"You can't stay in there. I'm sorry, Cassandra, but that's not fair. I can take you to the city. They can build you a skin tank and you can stand trial for what you've done," the Doctor told her quietly.

"Well, that would be rather dramatic. Possibly my finest hour, and certainly my finest hat, but I'm afraid we don't have time," she informed. "Poor little Chip is only a half-life, and he's been through so much. His heart is racing so. He's failing. I don't think he's going to last-" before she could finish, she fell to her knees.

"Are you all right?" Zana asked immediately.

"I'm fine. I'm dying, but that's fine..."

"I can take you to the city..." the Doctor tried.

"No, you won't. Everything's new on this planet. There's no place for Chip and me anymore. You're right, Doctor. It's time to die, and that's good..." she gave him a small smile.

"Come on," he helped her up. "There's one last thing I can do."

~*~*~*~*~

"Oh no, don't. Stop it. Simply not true. Tiny. The beaches were so dismal, and the mosquitoes were..." the past Cassandra was laughing along to a story she was telling as the current her turned to the Doctor.

"Thank you," she told him with a grateful smile.

"Just go. And don't look back," he replied.

"Good luck," both Rose and Zana smiled.

The Doctor had taken the small group to a point in Cassandra's past, and Zana was honestly surprised to see Cassandra, in her own body, mingling among others at a fancy dinner party. The current Cassandra was wearing a black robe the Doctor had given her and was making her way out into the small crowd, towards her past self.

"And if you actually see them, you're shocked. But don't quote me on that. Oh, naughty. À bientôt!" the younger Cassandra laughed.

"Excuse me, Lady Cassandra," the current Cassandra tried.

"I'm sorry, I don't need anything right now. I'm fine, thank you."

"No, I just wanted to say you look beautiful."

"Well, that's very kind, you strange little thing. Thank you very much."

"I mean it. You look so beautiful..."

The younger Cassandra stopped listening to the others and focused on her older self, "Thank you."

Zana turned away as the Cassandra she knew fell to the floor, "Oh, my Lord. Are you all right? What is it? What's wrong? Someone get some help! Call a medic or something, quickly!"

"Who is he?" someone asked as the Doctor led the two girls back into the TARDIS.

"I don't know. He just came up to me. I don't even know his name. He just collapsed. I think he's dying. Someone do something! I've got you, sweetheart. It's all right. There you are. There you are, I've got you. It'll be all right. There, there, you poor little thing..."

~*~*~*~*~

"So how big is this place?" Zana asked Rose as they wandered through the corridors. As soon as everything had settled down, Rose had decided to show her new friend around.

"It's endless," Rose told her. "I've always been too scared to go past my bedroom, to be honest with ya. I think I'm gonna get lost."

"Do you think someone has ever gotten lost?" Zana pondered.

"I...I don't know!" Rose laughed. "I'll have to ask the Doctor."

"Oh my god..."

"What?"

"This is...oh my..." Zana walked through the large double doors of what appeared to be the library. There were levels upon levels of shelves and books, and it absolutely enticed Zana beyond belief.

Rose chuckled, "I knew you'd like this room."

"This is amazing!" Zana laughed.

"I thought so too," Rose smiled, sitting down on a comfortable looking sofa, next to a small table, which was nearly overflowing with books. "I've never actually finished a book because the Doctor is always eager for some sort of an adventure, but I do enjoy just sitting in here."

Zana sat down beside her, "Tell me about yourself, Rose."

"What do you wanna know?"

"Anything you're willing to tell," Zana smiled.

"You gonna tell me about yourself as well?"

"Of course!"

Rose chuckled, "Well...my mum, Jackie, raised me. My dad had passed away when I was just a baby, so she was all I had..."

"I'm sorry..."

"Oh no, it's fine. I gotta meet him."

"How?"

"Time machine, remember?"

"Oh!" Zana chuckled.

"Hmm...I did pretty well in school. I had a rather normal life, actually. Everything was fine, I guess. But it was very...boring, you know?"

"So you decided to go with the Doctor?"

"Yeah," she smiled.

"How did you meet him?"

"He blew up the shop I was working at."

"Really?" Zana laughed. "Why?"

"There were these things called Autons that were inside, so he had to get rid of 'em."

"Hmm..." Zana nodded. "How long have you been with him?"

"A year, just about," she smiled fondly. "It's been a blast. I got to meet Charles Dickens and see the end of the Earth and meet all kinds of aliens, good and bad. I've also helped the Doctor save as many people as we can. That's what he does, you know. He saves people."

"Is it his job to save people?"

"No. He doesn't even have to do it. He just loves helping people whenever he can. He truly is a great man, Zana."

"Sounds like it," Zana smiled softly.

"Now go on," Rose made herself comfortable on the couch. "Tell me about you."

"Well...I'm eighteen years old. I'm currently in secondary school, and trying to get accepted into Oxford," Rose let out a low whistle, making Zana chuckle. "Yeah, I know. Crazy, right? It's not what I really wanted to do with my life, but hey, my parents asked, so I decided 'why not?'"

"You must be pretty smart, then."

Zana shrugged, "I suppose so. But it can't really get me anywhere."

"Are you kidding me? You can do anything!"

"Yeah..." Zana sighed. "It's just...that's how I spent my teenage years, invested in my education. I get that it's important, and I get that I'll need it for my future, but I completely missed out on typical teenage milestones, you know? I don't really have any friends, except for one, and she's always out with her other friends."

"The Doctor likes clever people. Maybe he'll let you stay," Rose said happily. "I really hope he does, you know. You're pretty cool."

Zana bit her lip, "You think he'll let me stay? I mean, these past few days have been the best days of my entire life. The adventures...that's all I ever really wanted."

"I felt the exact same way," Rose informed. "Hell, I still feel like that!"

Zana laughed softly, "I have a feeling we're going to be great friends, Rose Tyler."

"I do too, Zana Kline."

~*~*~*~*~

A/N: Chapter 4! Wow, I'm on a roll! Anyway, I hope you like it. :)


	5. School Reunion

Zana awoke to the sound of a soft tapping on Rose's door. She had fallen asleep on a small couch in Rose's room, and Rose just left her there. Zana had told her she didn't want her own room yet. After all, she wasn't even sure if she was going to be able to stay onboard the TARDIS...Heaven knows she wanted to. The Universe had been lain before her like a winding path, and she was determined to follow it.

"Yeah?" Zana stretched her limbs as she sat up, seeing that Rose was still fast asleep.

"Zana? It's the Doctor," he called.

"Oh. I thought it was Spock," Zana retorted as she rose to her feet.

"Very funny. Can you wake Rose? I'm anxious to go somewhere."

"Yeah. I guess I can."

"Thanks."

Zana just stood there for a moment or so, looking around the room as the Doctor's footsteps started to fade. It was almost like there was sunlight shining in through windows in the room, but there weren't any windows in sight. In fact, how did they even tell them in this box? It was a time machine, for god's sake. Time had to be relative.

"Rose?" Zana shuffled towards the blonde's bed. "Rose, it's time to get up."

"Five more minutes..." Rose's voice was thick with tiredness, making Zana chuckle.

"Tell that to your Doctor. Apparently, he's anxious to go somewhere," Zana pulled on her leather jacket, which had been laying on the ground beside the sofa she had slept on.

"He'll be fine," Rose muttered before rolling over and closing her eyes again.

"Okay then," Zana smiled as she walked into the bathroom Rose had in her room. She turned on the water faucet and splashed cold water on the face, wanting to be fully awake for their next adventure. After she turned the water off, she looked around for some sort of hair tie, which she found sitting on the counter. She quickly pulled her hair out of her eyes and looked at herself in the mirror. "I wish I had a change of clothes...and perhaps a toothbrush..."

The sound of Rose's laugh made her turn around to see her standing in the doorway.

"Good morning," Zana chuckled, drying her hands off on a hand towel. "Sleep well?"

"Remarkably," Rose nodded. "And you?"

"Rather well, I suppose," the teen nodded.

"That's good," Rose yawned, stretching her limbs.

"I'll leave you to get ready," Zana walked past her. "I'll go to...that room with the buttons."

"The control room?"

"That's the one," Zana paused. "How do I get there?"

"Go right out the door, then another right, then a left, then a right."

"Gotcha," Zana nodded, heading out of the door. "We'll be waiting!"

It didn't take long for her to make it into the control room, as Rose had called it. She immediately noticed the Doctor, who was humming along with an unfamiliar song that was playing.

"Um..." Zana cleared her throat, making the Doctor look up at her. He flicked a switch on the control panel, silencing the music.

"Hello, Zana. Did you sleep well?" he asked her as he walked around the circumference of the console.

"Yeah, I did," she stepped further into the room.

"That's good," he gave her a wide grin. "Did you tell Rose goodbye?"

Zana felt her stomach drop instantly, "Uh, no. Was I suppose to?"

"I must've forgotten to say something last night. Huh...Anyway! After what happened to you on New Earth, with Cassandra taking over you like that...I can't risk having you onboard, Zana. I'm sorry."

She stared at him blankly. She expected this to happen, of course she did. She just didn't expect it to happen so soon or so blatantly. She couldn't exactly protest, though. Beyond everything, it was his TARDIS. So it was, in the end, his decision. And it seems he's made it. She ignored the burning of her eyes as she blinked a few times, trying to fight back the oncoming tears. She didn't wasn't to say goodbye to her friend yet. Hell, she didn't want to say goodbye to the Doctor yet!

"I um...okay," she nodded quickly, shoving her hands into her jacket, trying to act calm. "But uh, can you drop me off before Rose comes out? I'm not good at goodbyes."

"Are you sure?" he asked, his voice soft as he watched her with sad eyes. She looked down, not being able to take his brown irises. There was just something about his ancient eyes that got to her.

"Positive," she exhaled deeply. "Please."

He studied her for a moment before nodding his head gently. Zana grabbed the railing as the jolting began, and as soon as everything stilled, she quickly made her way to the doors of the time machine. She was more upset than she'd like to admit. Just before she opened them, she stopped and turned to look at the Time Lord for one last time. She hated to admit it, but...she didn't want to go.

"How long have I been gone?" she decided to ask, just in case. Rose had told her what the Doctor had done to her. She didn't want to run into a 'missing' flyer with her face on it anytime soon.

"Just a few hours," he informed.

She nodded and hesitated a bit longer before pulling the doors open.

"Goodbye, Zana Kline," the Doctor said to her as she stepped out into the cool, London air. She recognized the small park they had landed at. It wasn't far from her home, actually. She thought she could see some of her classmates roaming about, laughing and smiling and looking like they were having the time of their lives, but that just made her envious. Why did they get to have their fun? Didn't Zana deserve the adventures she had been yearning for as long as she could remember?

"Goodbye, Doctor," Zana gave him a small, sad smile, mostly just to be polite as she moved to close the blue, wooden doors. He did give her a day she would never forget, so that was the least she could do for him. She took a few steps back as the wind started to pick up, signaling that he had started to pilot the spaceship. Zana couldn't find the will to move as she listened to what she decided was the most unique and beautiful noise she had ever heard...the engines of the TARDIS.

~*~*~*~*~

A full month or so had passed before Zana finally accepted the fact that she was never going to see them again. It hurt...it really did. She didn't get it, why did she miss them so bloody much? She only knew them for a few days!

"Zana? Come on, you've zoned out again," Emily, Zana's friend, nudged the contemplating brunette as they walked down the sidewalk, towards their school. It was Thursday, and Zana was dreading the weekend. At least she had school to take her mind off of the Doctor and Rose on the weekdays, but during the weekends, all she did was sit at home and think about them. Her grades were starting to decline, and her parents weren't very happy about that. But she couldn't help it. She was too preoccupied.

"Sorry, Em," Zana shook her head, shivering at the crisp air. "I was just thinking about something."

"I know. That's all you've been doing lately," Emily gave her a look.

Zana shrugged, pulling her backpack closer to herself. "I can't help it. Hey, did you hear that we were getting a new physics teacher?"

"I did, yeah," Emily nodded. "Do you think they'll be cool? The last thing we need is another strict teacher."

Zana looked over at her redheaded friend, "What do you mean? None of the teachers give me a problem."

"That's because you're a teacher's pet," Emily laughed. "Look, I'll see you at lunch, okay?"

"Of course, yeah," Zana smiled, but she let it drop when her friend walked ahead, into the school building. What was the point of smiling when you didn't mean it? The bell rang as she entered the school as well, making her realize how late she was. She rushed to her locker and grabbed her physics book. She rushed to her classroom, cursing under breath as she threw the door open, making everyone go silent.

"Zana?" the last voice she expected to hear made her look up. There he stood, the Doctor, clad in the same suit she had last seen him in. She stood there, frozen in spot as her classmates looked on, confused, but she didn't care. She couldn't believe it. The Doctor was here. At her school. And was apparently her new physics teacher.

She cleared her throat, "Yes?"

"Uh...take a seat," he nodded to an empty seat in the front row before turning as writing 'PHYSICS' on the whiteboard. Zana ran a hand through her hair and did as told.

"Morning, Milo," she muttered, sitting her book on her desk.

"So, physics," the Doctor turned back towards the group of students. "Physics, eh? Physics. Physics. Physics! Physics. Physics, physics, physics, physics, physics, physics, physics," Zana rolled her eyes as he leaned against the teacher's desk. "I hope one of you is getting all this down. Okay, let's see what you know. Two identical strips of nylon are charged with static electricity and hung from a string so they can swing freely. What would happen if they were brought near each other?" Zana raised her hand. "Yes, er, off you go."

"They'd repel each other because they have the same charge," she informed, leaning back in her chair.

"Correctamundo!" Zana raised an eyebrow as he winced, "A word I have never used before and hopefully never will again. Question two. I coil up a thin piece of microwire and place it in a glass of water. Then I turn on the electricity and measure to see if the water's temperature is affected. My question is this. How do I measure the electrical power going into the coil?" Zana's hand instantly shot up again. "Someone else. No? Okay, Zana, go for it."

"Measure the current and PDs in an ammeter and a voltmeter."

"Two to Zana. Right then, Zana, tell me this. True or false. The greater the dampening of the system, the quicker it loses energy to its surroundings."

"False."

"What is non-coding DNA?"

"DNA that doesn't code for a protein."

"Sixty-five thousand nine hundred and eighty-three times five?"

"Three hundred and twenty-nine thousand nine hundred and fifteen."

"How do you travel faster than light?"

"By opening a quantum tunnel with an FTL factor of thirty-six point seven recurring," Zana took a deep breath before a frown spread across her lips. How in the bloody hell does she know that? Judging by the shocked expression that was on the Doctor's face, he didn't know either.

~*~*~*~*~

"Emily!" Zana called, spotting her friend sitting alone in the cafeteria. She walked over and sat down next to her, grabbing a few chips from her try.

"Oi! Get your own," Emily pushed her hand away with a laugh.

"Have you seen the new physics teacher?" Zana asked immediately as students started lining up in the lunch line.

"Yeah, I have! He's cute, huh?"

Zana blinked. "What? Ew, no."

"Oh, come on, Zana!"

"Emily, I have more important things to think about, alright?"

"Like what?"

"Like getting more chips," Zana stood up before filching a few more chips from her friend's tray.

"Hey!"

Zana chuckled as she walked over to join the lunch line when she noticed the Doctor sitting off by himself, staring intently at a chip he had on his fork. Without a second thought, she changed directions and moved towards him. He looked up at her as she sat down in the chair across from him and sat her backpack down on the ground beside her.

"Can I help you?" he asked her, sitting his fork down.

"What are you doing here, Doctor?" she tilted her head, looking him over.

"I uh...thought I'd check in on you?" he tried, making Zana scoff.

"No, something's wrong. What is it?"

He studied her, making her shift in her seat nervously. "How long has it been for you?"

"Since what? You dropped me off? A month, at least. Why? How long has it been for you and Rose?"

"A...few days, I think."

"What?!" she exclaimed loudly, her eyes widening.

"Shh!" he scolded.

"Zana? Is that you?" Rose's familiar voice made Zana turn around.

"Rose!" she stood up and pulled her into a hug, which the blonde instantly returned.

"Zana!" Rose pulled back and looked over her. "You're a student here?"

"Yeah," she chuckled. "And apparently the Doctor's a teacher, and you're a lunch lady. What's going on?"

"Mickey said something was off about this school," Rose informed, wiping off the table the Doctor was sitting at.

"And he was right. Zana here knows things way beyond planet Earth," the Doctor glanced at her.

"You eating those chips?" Rose asked, taking one from his tray and taking a bite.

"Yeah, they're a bit...different,"

"I think they're gorgeous! Wish I had school dinners like this," she sat down.

Zana sat down beside her and absently took one for herself as well, "The food used to suck, actually. Ever since Headmaster Finch got here, everything's been so much better."

"It's very well behaved, this place," the Doctor said to her.

"Mmm," she nodded.

He turned to Rose, "I thought there'd be happy slapping hoodies. Happy slapping hoodies with ASBOs. Happy slapping hoodies with ASBOs and ringtones. Huh? Huh? Oh, yeah. Don't tell me I don't fit in."

"What?" Zana laughed, making him smile proudly.

"You are not permitted to leave your station during a sitting," the head lunch lady made the three of them turn around. Rose stood up instantly.

"I was just talking to this teacher," Rose informed.

"Hello," the Doctor waved.

"He doesn't like the chips," whispered to the lunch lady.

"The menu has been specifically designed by the headmaster to improve concentration and performance," the lunch lady informed, seeming almost offended.

"I like 'em, if that helps," Zana popped another one in her mouth, smiling at the lady, trying to make her calm down. She seemed like she was having a long day.

The woman completely ignored her as she looked at Rose, "Get back to work,"

Rose rolled her eyes as the woman walked off, "See? This is me. Dinner lady."

"I'll have the crumble," the Doctor called as she walked away, making Zana smile.

"I'm so going to kill you," Rose chuckled.

"Melissa. You'll be joining my class for the next period," Zana turned around to see who she recognized as Mr. Wagner talking to one of the younger students. "Milo's failed me, so it's time we moved you up to the top class. Kenny, not eating the chips?"

"I'm not allowed," Kenny informed, taking a bite of his home-prepared lunch.

"Luke. Extra class. Now," Wagner demanded, and Zana frowned as the two students followed after him.

"I never liked Mr. Wagner," she turned back to the Doctor. "He's new, too, but I don't have his class."

"Hmm..." the Doctor replied absently.

Zana looked over him as she munched on more chips. She was still in shock that he and Rose were here...After all, what was the chance of seeing them again? Out of the whole universe, they ended up at her school. "You know...that day I spent with you and Rose..."

"What about it?" he looked at her, tearing his gaze from the headmaster.

Zana chuckled and looked down, slightly embarrassed. The Doctor was still a mystery to her, and she didn't quite know just how well they got on. From the short time she's known him, there were times when they acted like strangers and other times when they acted like they'd known each other for years. "It was the best day ever. It sounds cliche, I know, but it's true."

He smiled at her, "Yeah?"

"Yeah," she nodded. "Even though I spent half of it being possessed, it was fun. It was an adventure...and that's all I've ever really wanted. All these years I've been buried in books and exams and school work, and just to get a break was quite possibly the best thing that's ever happened to me. You and Rose are great people, even though I didn't particularly think too highly of you at the beginning." The Doctor chuckled. "So...thank you for that. I'll never forget it."

And with that, Zana Kline stood up, grabbed her bag, and left the Doctor sitting there, his mind going over what she just said.

~*~*~*~*~

Zana was sitting in the middle of her English class, doodling in her notebook as her teacher rattled on about sonnets and Shakespeare. She already knew everything, to be honest. She had read ahead in her textbook.

"Whatcha drawing?" Emily whispered, making Zana look up. "A...police box?"

"Mhmm," Zana nodded.

"What's a police box?"

"A box police use."

"Thanks."

"Anytime," Zana gave her a cheeky smile. Her mood had lightened tremendously. Knowing that the Doctor and Rose were near seemed to make her feel better. It was like they were what she's been missing her whole life...She was guessing that was because wherever they were, an adventure was sure to follow.

"So I saw you sitting with the new physics teacher at lunch," Emily commented with a smirk.

"Did you? Good to know your eyes haven't failed you," Zana retorted.

"Haha," Emily rolled her eyes. "What were you talking about?"

"Einstein."

"Zana, I'm serious!"

"Me too!"

"Miss Kline, something you'd like to share with the class?" the teacher spoke up, making everyone turn to her.

"I uh...no," she shook her head.

"Are you sure? You're being quite disruptive."

Just as Zana was going to apologize, there was a knock on the door. Seconds later, it opened to reveal none other than the Doctor.

"Can I help you, Mr. Smith?" the teacher asked kindly.

"Can I borrow Miss Kline?" he looked at Zana and smiled.

"Of course," her teacher nodded, and without a second thought, she gathered her things and followed the Doctor out of the room and down the corridor. She didn't care what he needed, she was just happy to go with him.

"What's going on?" she asked him as they walked into the gym.

"You know what I said about it being too dangerous for you to travel with me?" he looked down at her with a wide grin.

"Hasn't slipped my mind, no," she replied excitedly.

"Well, I change my mind," he told her as he opened the door to the storage room to reveal the TARDIS. Zana's heart sped up instantly, and without thinking, she threw her arms around his neck.

"Oh, thank you so much!" she beamed, pulling away just as he went to return the hug, but she didn't notice. She turned and rushed into the TARDIS, where she immediately pulled the waiting blonde into a hug as well.

Rose laughed, "It's great to have you onboard, Zana!"

"This is...oh, I can't thank you two enough," Zana looked between the Doctor and Rose as the Doctor joined them by the console.

"There's no need. You're good company," the Doctor told her. "I think we're going to get on nicely."

Zana smiled widely, returning the soft smile he had sent her way. This was actually happening...she was a part of the TARDIS crew now. She wondered where, or when they'd go next. Perhaps they'd go to another planet billions of years into the future, or maybe they'd meet Queen Nefertiti or Confucius or Shakespeare! Oh, she couldn't wait!

"Zana, do you wanna change out of your uniform? I think I've got some clothes that fit you. If not, there's a huge wardrobe on this thing," Rose spoke up, pulling Zana from her thoughts.

"Sounds good to me," she nodded excitedly and followed her out of the console room, beaming away as she pondered of more places they could visit.

~*~*~*~*~

That night, once the school was void of students and teachers, the Doctor, Rose, Zana, and Mickey Smith walked through the building, looking for...well, Zana wasn't quite sure. She didn't even really know why the Doctor and Rose were even at her school in the first place.

"Oh, it's weird seeing school at night. It just feels wrong. When I was a kid, I used to think all the teachers slept in school," Rose commented, making Zana laugh.

"All right, team. Oh, I hate people who say team. Er, gang...uh...comrades. Anyway, Rose, Zana, go to the kitchen. Get a sample of that oil. Mickey, the new staff are all Maths teachers. Go and check out the Maths department. I'm going to look in Finch's office. Be back here in ten minutes," he informed before taking off up the stairs, leaving the three of them alone.

"You going to be all right?" Rose asked Mickey with a knowing smirk on her lips.

"Me? Please. Infiltration and investigation? I'm an expert at this," Mickey waved her off before walking off. Zana chuckled and shook her head as he walked back towards them. "Where's the Maths department?"

"Down there, turn left, through the fire doors, on the right," Zana told him. "Come on, I'll go with you."

"Thank you," Mickey nodded.

"Gonna be okay, Rose?" Zana asked her.

"I'll be fine, yeah," Rose smiled. "Be careful."

"And you."

With that, Zana led Mickey down the corridors, to the Maths department. They were almost there when Zana noticed that Mickey was no longer following behind her.

"Mickey?" she called, looking around, confused. Why would he just wander off like that? "Mickey! Come on!"

All she got in response was a scream.

"Mickey!" she took off, back the way she came, worry coursing through her. She considered Mickey a friend, and the last thing she wanted was for him to hurt. Just as she went to turn the corner, she ran right into the Doctor, Rose, and an older brunette woman.

"And who are you?" the woman asked of Zana.

"Zana Kline. Lovely to meet you," she said hurriedly. "Where's Mickey?"

"This way," the Doctor rushed past her, making them follow him. Zana let out a sigh of relief when she saw Mickey standing there, perfectly fine. Wait...then why did he scream?

"Sorry! Sorry, it was only me. You told me to investigate, so I started looking through some of these cupboards and all of these fell on me..." Mickey muttered as Zana stepped closer to him.

"Okay..." she crouched down and grabbed one of the many vacuum-packed rats that were scattered on the floor.

"Oh, my God, they're rats. Dozens of rats. Vacuum packed rats..." Rose breathed.

"And you decided to scream?" the Doctor raised an eyebrow, looking at Mickey, who was still shaking a bit.

"It took me by surprise!" Mickey defended as Zana stood up.

"Like a little girl?"

"It was dark! I was covered in rats!"

"Nine, maybe ten years old. I'm seeing pigtails, frilly skirt."

"Come on, you two. You are grown men, act like it," Zana rolled her eyes, successfully shutting them up.

"Does anyone notice anything strange about this? Rats in school?" Rose frowned at Zana, who was just as confused as she was.

"Well, obviously they use them in Biology lessons. They dissect them. Or maybe you haven't reached that bit yet. How old are you?" the older woman asked Rose, a bit rudely.

"Excuse me, no one dissects rats in school anymore. They haven't done that for years. Where are you from, the dark ages?" Rose retorted, glaring at her.

"Anyway, moving on," the Doctor interrupted quickly as Zana looked between the two women, obviously very bewildered. "Everything started when Mister Finch arrived. We should go and check his office."

~*~*~*~*~

"I don't mean to be rude or anything, but who exactly are you?" Rose asked the woman as the two of them walked ahead of Zana, Mickey, and the Doctor. Zana was ready to step in if she needed to, while Mickey just looked on, amused. The Doctor was obviously very uncomfortable while the whole situation, but Zana didn't know why.

"Sarah Jane Smith. I used to travel with the Doctor," the woman informed, and something clicked in Zana's brain. She's heard that name before.

"Oh. Well, he's never mentioned you," Rose smiled patronizingly.

"Oh, I must've done. Sarah Jane. Mention her all the time," the Doctor tried, but it was very clear he hadn't mentioned her at all. Zana never heard him talk about her, but her name did ring a bell...but she couldn't remember where she had heard it.

"Hold on," Rose pretended to think."Sorry. Never."

"What, not even once? He didn't mention me even once?" Sarah Jane frowned. Zana could tell that had really bothered her.

"Ho, ho, mate. The missus and the ex," Mickey laughed and patted the Doctor on the back as Rose and Sarah Jane walked ahead. "Welcome to every man's worst nightmare!"

Zana gave Mickey a look as they followed after the arguing women, "Really?"

Mickey just grinned at her.

~*~*~*~*~

"Maybe those rats were food," the Doctor muttered as he used the sonic screwdriver on the door to Headmaster Finch's office.

"Food for what?" Zana asked as he slowly opened the door.

"Rose, you know you used to think all the teachers slept in the school? Well, they do..." the Doctor murmured.

Everyone poked their heads inside to see the giant bat-like creatures hanging from the ceiling, seeming to be in a deep sleep.

"Whoa..." Zana admired the aliens. "That is...so cool!"

"No way!" Mickey breathed before dashing away quickly. Zana and the others immediately followed him, all the way out of the school. Zana panted for air, as did Mickey and Sarah Jane the minute they came to a halt. It was obvious that the Doctor and Rose were used to the running, which kinda worried Zana. Would they always have to run like that? God, she hoped not. "I am not going back in there. No way!"

"Those were teachers!" Rose exclaimed.

"When Finch arrived, he brought with him seven new teachers, four dinner ladies, and a nurse. Thirteen. Thirteen big bat people. Come on," the Doctor moved to go back into the school.

"Come on? You've got to be kidding!" Mickey cried.

"I need the TARDIS. I've got to analyze that oil from the kitchen," the Doctor informed.

"I might be able to help you there. I've got something to show you!" Sarah Jane grabbed the Doctor's hand and pulled him out into the car park. Rose's annoyed look didn't go unnoticed to Zana, who was admittedly a bit amused by Rose's annoyance.

"It's kinda funny, you know," Zana commented as they followed the Doctor and Sarah Jane.

"No, it's not..." Rose muttered.

"I'm sure Sarah Jane means no harm," Zana nudged her.

"Yeah, yeah," Rose cracked a small smile.

They made it to Sarah Jane's car just in time to see the Doctor push back an old blanket to reveal an old, robot dog. Zana instantly lit up. That was the most adorable thing she had seen all day! A robot dog, of all things! "K9! Rose Tyler, Mickey Smith, and Zana Kline allow me to introduce K9. well, K9 Mark Three to be precise."

"Why does he look so...disco?" Rose frowned.

"Oi! Listen, in the year five thousand, this was cutting edge," the Doctor defended before turning to Sarah Jane, "What's happened to him?"

"Oh, one day, he just, nothing," Sarah Jane informed.

"Well, didn't you try and get him repaired?"

"Well, it's not like getting parts for a Mini Metro! Besides, the technology inside him could rewrite human science. I couldn't show him to anyone!"

"Ooh, what's the nasty lady done to you, eh?" Zana looked on, amused while the Doctor petted the metal dog. He obviously had missed it.

"Look, no offense, but could you two just stop petting for a minute? Never mind the tin dog. We're busy!" Rose huffed. Zana noticed the Doctor's wide smile drop as he covered the robot dog with the old blanket and closed the boot.

"I think he's adorable," Zana told him and Sarah Jane, earning a smile from them both.

"Thank you...Zana, was it?" Sarah held out a hand, which the teenager happily shook.

"That's me," she smiled. "Sorry about my friend, by the way. She's usually not so mean."

Sarah Jane chuckled, "It's quite alright. It's a pleasure to meet you."

"And you, Sarah Jane Smith."

~*~*~*~*~

"You see, what's impressive is that it's been nearly an hour since we met her and I still haven't said I told you so," Mickey smirked as he, Rose, and Zana stood at the counter in a small cafe. The Doctor and Sarah Jane were off on the opposite side of the room, conversing as the Doctor worked on K9, as he called him.

"I'm not listening to this," Rose shook her head.

"Although, I have prepared a little I was right dance that I can show you later," Mickey nudged her.

"Two quid, love," the cashier informed, and Rose handed her the coins before taking the order of chips she had wanted.

"All this time you've been giving it, he's different, when the truth is, he's just like any other bloke," Mickey told her as the three of them sat down at a table.

"You don't know what you're talking about," Rose muttered, taking a bite of her chips.

"Maybe not. But if I were you I'd go easy on the chips," he whispered, making Rose frown.

"Shut up, Mickey," Zana elbowed him, making him laugh.

"So, how have you been?" he asked her, seeing that Rose had zoned-out, watching the Doctor.

"Me? I've been...okay," Zana shrugged, stuffing her hands into her leather jacket. "I mean, it's been a month since I've seen the Doctor and Rose, so it's great to see them again."

"Rose seems excited that you're joining them," he informed as he leaned back in his chair.

"Really?"

"Oh yeah. She really likes you."

"She's a good friend," Zana smiled widely. "And how have you been, Mickey?"

"Been busy," he said simply.

"I'm sure you have been," Zana nodded. "Tell me, why don't you travel on the TARDIS? You obviously love being around Rose and the Doctor, and you're brave. You're perfect for the job. A lot more qualified than myself, if I do say."

"They couldn't handle me," he replied in that cocky demeanor that Zana knew was just a big act. 

"Oh, I don't know, Mickey Smith. I think they need ya," Zana smiled softly.

"You really think so?" his voice softened a bit.

"I do."

"Oh, hey. Now we're in business!" the Doctor exclaimed suddenly, making them look up to see the tin dog come to life.

"Master!" the dog exclaimed as his little robotic ears rotated, making Zana grin.

"He recognizes me!" the Doctor laughed excitedly.

"Affirmative!"

"Rose, give us the oil," the Doctor held out a hand, and within seconds, Rose was out of her trance-like state and by his side. Zana and Mickey got up and joined them, watching as the Doctor unscrewed the lid of the small container of oil.

"I wouldn't touch it, though. That dinner lady got all scorched," Rose warned just as he went to dip his finger into the oil.

"I'm no dinner lady. And I don't often say that," he told her before smearing the yellow substance onto a probe that was where K9's nose should be. "Here we go. Come on, boy. Here we go."

"Oil. Ex-ex-ex-extract. Ana-ana-analysing," K9 informed. Zana didn't think she could like that dog any more than she already did, but apparently, she was wrong!

"Listen to him, man. That's a voice!" Mickey laughed.

"Careful! That's my dog," Sarah Jane warned.

"Confirmation of analysis. Substance is Krillitane Oil," K9 reported.

The Doctor's face fell, "They're Krillitanes..."

"Is that bad?" Zana asked him.

"Very. Think of how bad things could possibly be, and add another suitcase full of bad."

"And what are Krillitanes?" Sarah Jane frowned.

"They're a composite race. Just like your culture is a mixture of traditions from all sorts of countries, people you've invaded or have been invaded by. You've got bits of Viking, bits of France, bits of whatever. The Krillitanes are the same. An amalgam of the races they've conquered. But they take physical aspects as well. They cherry-pick the best bits from the people they destroy. That's why I didn't recognize them. The last time I saw Krillitanes, they looked just like us except they had really long necks."

"What're they doing here?" Rose looked at him.

"It's the children. They're doing something to the children..."

~*~*~*~*~

Rose had been eerily silent as Mickey and Sarah Jane loaded K9 into the boot of Sarah's car. Zana wanted to tell her everything was going to be okay, but to be honest, she didn't even know why she was so upset. Was it because of Sarah Jane? She didn't think she was that bad. In fact, she thought Sarah could be helpful. Plus, she just wanted to figure out where she had heard of her. It was something strange, she was sure of it. Now that she thinks about it...maybe she read about her when she was researching the Doctor...

"How many of us have there been traveling with you?" Rose's question rang out loudly as she followed the Doctor out of the cafe. Zana looked on, deciding to stand back. Getting involved in their relationship was the last thing she ought to do.

"Does it matter?" the Doctor replied absently.

"Yeah, it does, if I'm just the latest in a long line."

That caught his attention. He spun around and looked down at her, "As opposed to what?"

"I thought you and me were..." she shook her head. "I obviously got it wrong. I've been to the year five billion, right, but this? Now, this is really seeing the future. You just leave us behind! Is that what you're going to do to me?"

"No. Not to you," he said instantly.

"But Sarah Jane? You were that close to her once, and now you never even mention her," Zana looked on sadly as Rose's voice broke. "Why not?"

The Doctor's eyes were glazed over with tears, "I don't age. I regenerate. But humans decay. You wither and you die. Imagine watching that happen to someone who you..." 

"What, Doctor?" Rose asked softly.

"You can spend the rest of your life with me, but I can't spend the rest of mine with you. I have to live on. Alone. That's the curse of the Time Lords."

"Time Lord," someone repeated, making everyone look up. Zana's eyes widened when she saw her Headmaster standing on the roof of the building in front of them. She felt the Doctor grab her and pull her back as one of the bat creatures swooped down towards them before flying off.

"Was that a Krillitane?" Sarah breathed once it was gone.

"But it didn't even touch her. It just flew off. What did it do that for?" Rose asked, just as confused as the others.

~*~*~*~*~

Sarah had offered to house the group for the night since the Doctor had left the TARDIS in the school, so that was where all of them were. Rose was already curled up on the couch, fast asleep, while Mickey typed away at his laptop. Zana was sitting at Sarah's kitchen table, a bit awkwardly. She didn't really know the woman, after all. It was Christmas all over again.

"So, you're one of the Doctor's new assistants, huh?" Sarah sat down in front of her, sliding a cup of tea and a few biscuits in front of her.

"Is that what I'm gonna be called?" Zana chuckled.

"It's what I was called," Sarah Jane smiled. "So, how did you meet him?"

"On Christmas Day," she informed, taking a small sip of her tea. "I actually met Rose first. She had saved my life. The Doctor...well, I suppose he saved my life as well, along with everyone else's on the Earth, but I didn't care much for him."

"He can be a difficult man to get used to," Sarah told her.

"Yeah? I'm still not sure what I think of him. He's a good man, I can tell, but...there's something dark about him, isn't there?" Zana asked softly.

"Oh yes," the older woman nodded solemnly. "And the best advice I can give you is to not get on that man's bad side, because there are infinite ways that he could punish you for it."

Zana took a deep breath, "I trust him. With my life. And I've only known him for 4 days."

"He has that effect on people," Sarah smiled softly.

Zana took a deep breath and stood up, "I'm going to talk to him."

"That's probably a good idea," Sarah nodded. "Good luck."

Zana smiled, walking past the busy Mickey and the sleeping Rose, and out the front door. The Doctor was sitting on the edge of the porch, looking up into the night sky. She didn't make her presence known. Instead, she just watched him with curiosity. It was so easy to forget that the Doctor wasn't human. In fact, the only thing that reminded her he wasn't was his eyes. She had noticed them almost immediately, and there was no way she was ever going to forget them. They were just so...beautiful.

"They're a lot more beautiful up close," the Doctor commented, and for a moment, Zana thought he had read her mind, but she soon realized he was talking about the stars. "I think you'll like them, Zana."

"I'm sure I will," she replied, not to bothered with finding how he knew she was there. She moved to sit next to the Time Lord, who turned to look at her. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," he nodded. Zana knew that wasn't true, but she decided not to push it.

Zana looked down, "You know, Doctor, I really do appreciate this. I don't think I can ever fully thank you for letting me travel with you and Rose."

"It's my pleasure," he smiled.

Zana smiled at him before looking up at the stars. She loved the way they glistened in the night sky, and she could only imagine how stunning they must look if she were among them.

"Where would you like to go first?" the Doctor's asked softly.

Zana pondered the question for a moment, trying to decide. Millions of places were buzzing in her mind, and the fact that she could go anywhere just added to the list.

"I know just the place," she finally spoke up, not once taking her eyes off the sky above her.

"And where will that be?"

She smiled, "Somewhere brilliant."

~*~*~*~*~

A/N: The end is really corny, isn't it?


	6. School Reunion Pt. 2

The next morning, everyone squeezed into Sarah's car, and they made their way back to Zana's school. The schoolyard was full of students who seemed eager to start the day's classes as the group piled out of the vehicle and walked towards the building, determined to stop whatever those Krillitanes were planning on doing. None of them had the faintest idea why they were using the children, but they knew it couldn't be good.

"Rose, Zana, and Sarah, you go to the Maths room. Crack open those computers, I need to see the hardware inside. Here, you might need this," the Doctor spoke and handed the sonic screwdriver to Sarah Jane, much to the dismay of Rose. "Mickey, surveillance. I want you outside."

"Just stand outside?" Mickey frowned.

"Here, take these you can keep K9 company," Sarah tossed him her keys as they started to walk ahead of him.

"Don't forget to leave the window open a crack!" the Doctor called back to him.

"But he's metal!" Mickey huffed.

"I didn't mean for him!"

Zana rolled her eyes and looked up at the Doctor, "What're you going to do?"

"It's time I had a word with Mister Finch."

Zana stopped walking, but the other three didn't seem to notice as they entered the school. She recognized the tone of his voice almost instantly. He sounded just like he did right before he ruined Harriet's career...and she might not know what these Krillitanes wanted, but she didn't think the Doctor should just waltz in and ruin their lives. Maybe they were doing good! Who said everything had to be bad?

She quickly followed after the group, but instead of going with Rose and Sarah like the Doctor told her to, she followed him down the corridors but stood back when he stepped into the room containing the swimming pool. She didn't really want to get caught up with everything, but you can bet she'd jump in if she needed to. The Doctor needed someone to tell him enough was enough, according to Sarah Jane, and Zana was prepared to take on that role. If she was going to spend her time with him from now on, she had better learn to stick up to him. Rose seemed to do it perfectly fine, but...well, Zana isn't really used to doing that.

"Who are you?" the Doctor's somber voice pulled the teen from her thoughts.

"My name is Brother Lassa. And you?" the Headmaster replied.

"The Doctor. Since when did Krillitanes have wings?"

"It's been our form for nearly ten generations now. Our ancestors invaded Bessan. The people there had some rather lovely wings. They made a million widows in one day. Just imagine..."

"And now you're shaped human."

"A personal favorite, that's all."

"And the others?

"My brothers remain bat form. What you see is a simple morphic illusion. Scratch the surface and the true Krillitane lies beneath. And what of the Time Lords? I always thought of you as such a pompous race. Ancient, dusty senators, so frightened of change and chaos. And of course, they're all but extinct. Only you. The last."

Zana frowned, "Last of the Time Lords..."

Rose had mentioned something about the Doctor being the last of his kind, but she didn't really take much notice of it. How could he be the last? How is that even possible?

"It seems you have a shadow, Doctor," the Headmaster's voice made Zana jump as she was grabbed by the arm and lead out from her hiding spot. The Doctor turned and looked, and let a frustrated groan as soon as he saw Zana being pulled towards him by one of the other Krillitanes.

Zana waved meekly when the alien let go of her, "Um, hello."

"Attend to your students," Mr. Finch looked at Mr. Wagner, the Krillitane in question, before turning to smile at Zana. "Ah, Zana Kline. One of my best students, if I do say so myself. Fitting that you befriended her, Doctor."

"I uh..." the Doctor shook his head. "This plan of yours. What is it?"

Mr. Finch raised an eyebrow, "You don't know."

"That's probably why he's asking," Zana retorted.

"Well, show me how clever you are," the Headmaster smirked. "Work it out."

"If I don't like it, then it will stop," the Doctor informed coldly. Zana stepped forward and laid a hand on his shoulder, wanting to calm him down.

"Your people were peaceful to the point of indolence. You seem to be something new. Would you declare war on us, Doctor?" Mr. Finch tilted his head.

"I'm so old now. I used to have so much mercy. You get one warning. That was it."

"But we're not even enemies!" the Headmaster called as the Doctor and Zana turned to leave. "Soon you will embrace us. The next time we meet, you will join with me. I promise you."

The two walked down the now empty corridors, the both of them obviously deep in thought. Zana knew so little about the Doctor...and yet here she was, by his side yet again, helping him save the day. She didn't even know his proper name, for Pete's sake. She knew nothing of his home planet, or of his life. All she knew was that he was the last of his species, and she can't even begin to imagine how that sits in one's heart. Knowing that you have no one to turn to...it must wreak havoc in his mind.

"How's it going?" the Doctor asked as they walked into the computer classroom. Sarah Jane and Rose didn't answer, though. They were too busy laughing. "What? Listen, I need to find out what's programmed inside these." Their laughs just intensified, and Zana couldn't help laughing along with them. "What? Stop it!"

~*~*~*~*~

"All pupils to class immediately. And would all members of staff congregate in the staff room," the secretary called over the speakers, making Zana look up from watching the Doctor working on one of the many computers. Almost instantly kids started to file into the room, but Rose was quick to send them away, giving the Doctor more time. He had wires wrapped around his neck as he soniced the computer, but apparently, it wasn't working.

"I can't shift it," he informed, frustrated.

"I thought the sonic screwdriver could open anything!" Sarah frowned.

"Anything except a deadlock seal. There's got to be something inside here. What're they teaching those kids?" 

Sarah looked at Zana, who held her hands up in surrender. Before Sarah asked her anything, all the computer screens light up and started displaying strange symbols. Zana had never seen them before, and by the look on Sarah Jane's face, she hadn't either. "You wanted the program? There it is."

The Doctor looked up and focused his eyes on the large screen at the front of the classroom, "Some sort of code..." He paused, his eyes widening. "No...No, that can't be."

"What is it, Doctor?" Zana stepped closer to him.

"The Skasis Paradigm. They're trying to crack the Skasis Paradigm..." he informed quietly.

"The Skasis what?" Sarah questioned.

"The God maker. The universal theory. Crack that equation and you've got control of the building blocks of the universe. Time and space and matter, yours to control," he shook his head.

"What, and the kids are like a giant computer?" Rose raised an eyebrow.

"Yes. And their learning power is being accelerated by the oil. That oil from the kitchens, it works as a, as a conducting agent. Makes the kids cleverer."

"But that oil's on the chips. Zana and I've been eating them."

"What's fifty-nine times thirty-five?" the Doctor asked the two of them.

"Two thousand and sixty-five," they replied in unison. "Oh, my God."

"But why use children?" Sarah Jane asked, confused. "Can't they use adults?"

"No, it's got to be children. The God maker needs imagination to crack it. They're not just using the children's brains to break the code, they're using their souls," the Doctor shook his head, the disgust evident in his voice.

"Let the lesson begin," Mr. Finch's voice rang out, making them turn to see him entering the room. "Think of it, Doctor. With the Paradigm solved, reality becomes clay in our hands. We can shape the universe and improve it."

"Oh yeah? The whole of creation with the face of Mister Finch? Call me old fashioned, but I like things as they are."

"You act like such a radical, and yet all you want to do is preserve the old order? Think of the changes that could be made if this power was used for good."

"What, by someone like you?" the Doctor sneered.

"No, someone like you," Finch retorted, shocking everyone, including the Doctor. "The Paradigm gives us power, but you could give us wisdom. Become a God at my side. Imagine what you could do. Think of the civilizations you could save. Perganon, Assinta. Your own people, Doctor, standing tall. The Time Lords reborn..."

"Doctor, don't listen to him," Sarah spoke up.

"And you could be with him throughout eternity," Mr. Finch turned to her, "Young, fresh, never wither, never age, never die. Their lives are so fleeting. So many goodbyes. How lonely you must be, Doctor. Join us."

"I could save everyone..." the Doctor breathed.

"Yes."

"I could stop the war..." he continued.

So it was war...No wonder the Doctor acts like he does...he's a soldier.

"No," Sarah intervened. "The universe has to move forward. Pain and loss, they define us as much as happiness or love. Whether it's a world, or a relationship, everything has its time. And everything ends."

The Doctor seemed to ponder her words before taking a deep breath and grabbing one of the plastic chairs, chunking it at the large screen, shattering it, "Out!"

Much to Zana's surprise, the Doctor reached down and took her hand as everyone ran out of the room, leaving the angered Headmaster behind. They rushed down the stairs, and Zana was just happy she didn't fall as they met Mickey down at the bottom, along with a younger student Zana recognized as Kenny.

"What is going on?" Mickey demanded, but no one had time to answer as the Krillitanes flew towards them, forcing them to rush off in the opposite direction. They ran into the cafeteria, but they had only trapped themselves as Mr. Finch walked in, surrounded by flying aliens.

"Are they my teachers?" Kenny asked.

"Yeah. Sorry," Zana answered as she caught her breath. "Man, I really gotta get used to that."

"We need the Doctor alive. As for the others? You can feast," Mr. Finch informed, and instantly the bats charged at them. They started defending themselves with plastic chairs, but the Krillitanes were getting the best of them. When Zana was starting to lose hope, a red beam hit one of the aliens, making Mr. Finch shout and Sarah Jane laugh.

"K9!" she beamed.

"Suggest you engage running mode, mistress," the robot dog replied, making Zana beam as well.

"Come on!" the Doctor shouted. "K9, hold them back!

"Affirmative, master. Maximum defense mode!"

The Doctor rushed out of the cafeteria, and again grabbed Zana's hand as K9 started firing his laser. Under any other circumstance, Zana might say something about it, but right now, she was glad. She was honestly a bit frightened by the Krillitanes, and she couldn't even begin to explain the feeling she got when he was near. She felt safe...protected, and she was thankful for that.

"How do we stop them?" Zana breathed once they ended up in the physics room.

The Doctor thought a moment, "It's the oil! Krillitane life forms can't handle the oil. That's it! They've changed their physiology so often, even their own oil is toxic to them!" He turned to Rose, "How much was there in the kitchens?"

"Barrels of it," she answered quickly.

Zana let out a shout and jumped away from the door as the Krillitanes started basing against it, "We need to leave! Quickly!"

"Okay, we need to get to the kitchens," the Doctor said, "Mickey-"

"What now, hold the coats?" Mickey asked sarcastically.

"Get all the children unplugged and out of the school. Now then, bats, bats, bats. How do we fight bats?"

Kenny rolled his eyes and elbowed the fire alarms, successfully stopping the Krillitanes' attempts to get into the classroom. The Doctor laughed and dashed out of the room, leaving everyone to follow him.

"Master!" K9 greeted them as they made it back into the cafeteria.

"Come on, boy. Good boy!" the Doctor rushed past him, into the kitchen. Zana watched as he tried to sonic the barrels of oil, but nothing was happening. "They've been deadlock sealed. Finch must've done that. I can't open them.

"The vats would not withstand a direct hit from my laser, but my batteries are failing," K9 informed.

The Doctor nodded, "Right. Everyone out the back door. K9, stay with me."

Zana and Rose immediately took off, and they were outside of the school in record time.

"Is it always like this?" Zana breathed, making Rose laugh.

"Oh, you love it!" Rose smiled as the students rushed out of the school. Mickey was close behind, making sure everyone had gotten out.

"You did it!" Zana smiled widely at him, making him grin.

"Course I did," he chuckled.

Just as the Doctor and Sarah Jane ran to join the group, the school exploded with a loud boom. Zana laughed and pulled Mickey and Rose into a hug as all the students started cheering Kenny's name. Oh, she's always wanted to see that!

"That was amazing!" Rose laughed. "Woo!"

"I'm sorry..." Zana could faintly hear the Doctor say and turned to see him holding Sarah Jane close to his chest. Zana's happy mood instantly fell when she realized that K9 was nowhere in sight.

"It's all right. He was just a daft metal dog. It's fine, really," Sarah started crying, and Zana looked down, sympathy flooding over her.

~*~*~*~*~

Everything was silent in the TARDIS.

The Doctor had wandered off almost as soon as they stepped foot inside his spaceship, saying he had some important task he had to tend to, and Rose and Mickey had gone to sleep hours ago. So, Zana was sitting on the captain's chair, listening to the sounds of this old box. She found rather early on that she enjoyed the humming of the ancient ship. It calmed her nerves, which always seem to be on edge every time she was here, but now...everything was perfect, it seemed. No monsters, no running, nothing. And surprisingly, Zana was okay with that. One adventure a day was good enough for her.

"You're still awake, Zana?" the Doctor's voice echoed through the console room as he walked in.

"Yeah I am," she nodded, watching him as he opened a section of the grated-floor.

"Why's that? Something on your mind?" he started tossing things over his shoulder. A smile formed on Zana's lips as she looked on, amused.

"Uh, yeah, I suppose you can say that," she chuckled. "That, and I don't have any place to sleep."

"Right...I'll have to fix that," he nodded before pulling out a small, machine-looking thing. "Ah-ha! Found it!"

"What is it?" Zana asked, curious.

"Nothing important. Just was wondering if I still had it," he stood up and shoved it in his pockets. "Now, didn't I promise you the stars, Zana Kline?"

Zana stood up, "Why? Do you plan on giving them to me?"

"Oh yes," he gave her a wide smile. She barely had time to grab onto the console as he yanked down on a lever, making the whole TARDIS jolt. Excitement bubbled up in Zana, and she couldn't help but laugh as she watched the Time Lord rush around the console, flipping switches and pushing buttons, and even hitting the poor thing with a hammer a few times!

"Whoa!" Zana fell to the ground when the ship came to a sudden halt.

The Doctor held out a hand and helped her up before pulling her towards the doors. "Remember when I said the stars were more beautiful up close?"

"Yeah," she smiled at him.

"Well," he opened the doors and Zana gasped at the sight before her. "Here they are."

"Oh my...wow..." she breathed as the Doctor sat down, dangling his legs out of the TARDIS. "This is gorgeous, Doctor!"

"It is, isn't it?" he smiled.

Zana carefully sat down beside him, not wanting to fall out of the floating box, "What's the name of that star? I mean, do you know?"

"Alpha Centauri," he informed, taking his gaze off the star to look at her instead.

"Closest star to Earth besides the sun, I do believe," Zana looked at him as well. "It's amazing. Thank you."

"Anytime."

Zana studied him a moment, "Tell me about yourself, Doctor."

"Not much to tell, really," he shrugged.

"Everyone's got a story, Doctor, no matter how much they wish they didn't," she nudged his shoulder. "So go on, then."

"I'll tell you what," he gave her a soft smile. "I'll tell you mine if you tell me yours."

"Deal."

"You first."

"Okay then," Zana chuckled. "I grew up in London, with my parents. They're just average people. My mum works at H.C Clements, and my dad is in the military." She shook her head, "I had a rather mundane childhood...no siblings to keep me company, no friends either. I spent most of my time studying."

"For what?"

"College. My parents think it best that I get into Oxford."

"Good school," he nodded.

"Very good school," she corrected. "But the thing is...I don't want that, Doctor. I don't want to spend my life behind a desk like my parents. I've seen how stressed they always are, and every time I hear them complaining about their jobs, it makes me wonder how they could possibly want their daughter to follow in their footsteps."

"Humans," he seemed amused as he spoke.

"All my life...all I've ever wanted was to explore the world. I want to see Stonehenge and America and Egypt and everything, really."

"I can take you anywhere you want to go," the Doctor told her. "Or any when!"

She laughed softly, "I can't wait."

"Me either," he admitted. "It's always nice to have someone new onboard the TARDIS."

"Your turn," she chuckled. "I wanna get to know you, Doctor."

"Well, I'm a Time Lord. I'm from the planet Gallifrey in the constellation of Kasterborous, I am 901 years old and I...well, I'm the last of my kind," he looked out into space, seeming to avoid Zana's gaze.

She laid a hand over his, sorrow filling her, "It's okay..."

"It's not," his tone changed, from a happy one to one of anger. "There was a war...It was for complete control over the Universe...The Last Great Time War, and I ended it."

"Everything comes with a price," she said softly.

"They shouldn't have paid it."

Zana sighed, "This war was against your people and...?"

"The Daleks. The evilest beings the universe has able to produce."

"And...you ended them as well, yeah? Surely something good came out of something so tragic."

"I thought I did..." he sighed. "But Rose and I ran into some not too long ago."

"If they survived, surely some Time Lords did too?"

"No," he shook his head.

"How would you know?"

"I've looked. Everywhere. I've sent messages and signals, but no one has ever returned them."

"This is a time machine, yeah? Can't you just go back and stop it?"

"When I stopped the war, I used a Time Lock. I can't ever go back..." his voice broke.

"Doctor...I'm so sorry..."

"Not your fault."

"It doesn't have to be my fault to feel pity for you."

The Doctor looked down at their hands, which were still clasped together, and laced their fingers together. If Zana wasn't so caught up in the moment, maybe she would have realized that this was the first time she's ever actually held hands with someone, but that was the last thing on her mind. Right now she was more concerned with the well being of her new friend. She wanted him to feel better, but she hadn't the slightest idea of how to do that.

"You know, Zan..." he paused. "I can call you Zan, can't I?"

She gave him a warm smile, "I like that, yeah."

A ghost of a smile played at his lips, "You know...Rose is a great friend, she really is, but she's never asked about any of that."

"Perhaps she knows how delicate of a topic it is," Zana felt him squeeze her hand.

"Maybe...but still, it's sorta nice to talk about it...It's been years now, but it still haunts me every day. No matter how many people I save, it's never enough...and it never will be."

"It's not about trying to make up for what you've done, Doctor," she shook her head. "With that mindset, the guilt will eat you alive. No, it's about accepting it and moving on. Maybe there's nothing you can do about the people who've perished, but that's okay. Their lives were not taken in vain. You may have ended Gallifrey, but you saved the universe."

"Is that suppose to make me feel better?"

"A little, yeah."

He chuckled, "I don't think anything can make me feel better about it. It's a lost cause, Zana."

"That's okay. I'm always up for an adventure, and helping you become better will definitely be one I won't pass on."

~*~*~*~*~

It was hours before Zana finally decided that she needed to get at least a little rest before the next day. The Doctor led her down the corridor, and right across the hall from Rose Tyler's room, Zana noticed a door with her name etched into the wood.

"Wood on a spaceship," Zana chuckled. "I like it."

"It's the TARDIS telepathic circuits. She can see what you've got envisioned in your mind," the Doctor explained. "Apparently you wanted a wood door."

"Now that you mention it, it looks like my door at home..." Zana closed her eyes. She didn't want this room to look like her room back home. She wanted something new.

"Okay, now it's a metal door," the Doctor commented as Zana opened her eyes and grinned. It worked!

"Can I go inside?" she asked eagerly.

"It is your room," he chuckled, and without a second thought, she threw the door open and laughed. Oh, it was perfect! A nice bed, a lovely desk, which was covered with books, and plenty of maps scattered around the walls. Not just of Earth, oh no. She asked the TARDIS to surprise her with maps of all sorts of different planets.

"This is amazing!" she laughed, walking up to one of the maps and touching it. It changed instantly, to an animation of the planet the map was just showing her. "Wow...I love this!"

"New Earth," the Doctor informed, pulling a hand from his pocket and pressing a finger to the screen before them. "See? There's New New York."

"We've been there," Zana grinned excitedly as she looked over the picture of the city.

"Your first trip," he chuckled.

She threw her arms around his neck, "Thank you so much for this..."

"You're more than welcome," he returned the embrace. "Now, I really should be getting back to work. I've got a surprise for Sarah Jane."

"Sarah Jane..." Zana pulled away and yawned as she pondered the woman's name. "I swear, I know her from somewhere..."

"Sarah's a very special person," the Doctor smiled as he left her room. "Goodnight, Zana."

"Night, Doctor," she called as he closed her door.

Sarah Jane...why did Zana know her?

~*~*~*~*~

"Have a good sleep?" Mickey asked Zana as she made her way into the console room. She was very pleased to discover a wardrobe full of clothes and trainers, very similar to what she normally wears. Zana really did love this TARDIS.

"Best sleep I've had in ages if I'm honest," she smiled. "And you, Mr. Smith?"

"It was great," he chuckled.

"Morning, Zana!" Rose smiled widely as she walked into the room not long after Zana did.

"Good morning, Rose," she chuckled.

"You've redecorated!" Sarah Jane's voice made them all turn towards the doors to see her walking in, with the Doctor close behind.

"Do you like it?" the Doctor asked, closing the blue doors.

"Oh, I, I do. Yeah. I preferred it as it was, but er, yeah. It'll do."

"I love it," Rose smiled widely.

"As do I," Zana agreed with a beam.

Sarah laughed, "Hey, you two what's forty-seven times three hundred and sixty-nine?"

"No idea," Rose replied while Zana simply shrugged. "It's gone now. The oil's faded."

"But you're still clever. The both of you. More than a match for him," she smiled at them.

"You and us both," Rose glanced at the Time Lord, "Doctor?"

The Doctor looked up from the console and smiled at the older woman, "Er, we're about to head off, but you could come with us."

Sarah looked between everyone, "No. I can't do this anymore. Besides, I've got a much bigger adventure ahead. Time I stopped waiting for you and found a life of my own."

"Can I come?" Mickey spoke up suddenly, making everyone turn to him. Sarah looked at him, confused. "No, not with you, I mean with you," he nodded at the Doctor. "Because I'm not the tin dog, and I want to see what's out there."

Zana noticed Rose mouth 'no' to the Doctor and frowned a bit. What was wrong with Mickey?

"Oh, go on, Doctor. Sarah Jane Smith, a Mickey Smith. You need a Smith on board!" Sarah encouraged.

"Okay then, I could do with a laugh," the Doctor smiled, making Mickey and Zana beam.

"Rose, is that okay?" Mickey asked her, noticing she didn't seem as happy.

"No, great. Why not?" the sarcasm was very evident in her voice, but everyone seemed to ignore it.

Zana rested a hand on Mickey's shoulder, "I'm glad you're coming with us, Mickey."

He smiled, "Me too."

"Well, I'd better go..." Sarah sighed before pulling Rose aside.

"What do I do? Do I stay with him?" Rose asked quietly, but Zana was just close enough to hear.

"Yes. Some things are worth getting your heart broken for," Sarah told her, pulling her into a hug. "Find me, if you need to, one day. Find me."

"Hello," Zana smiled softly as Sarah walked over to her.

"You're going to love this. The traveling, I mean," Sarah informed with a smile. "If you ever need me, give me a shout."

"Yes ma'am."

"And tell your father I said hello, yeah?"

Zana frowned and went to reply, but Sarah had already turned and walked out of the TARDIS, along with the Doctor.

"So where do you think we're goin' now?" Mickey asked Zana as she and Rose sat down on the captain's seat, deep in thought.

"No idea," she shook her head, trying to clear her mind. Surely it wasn't that big of a deal. "But hopefully it's someplace new..."

"And someplace awesome!" he grinned.

Zana decided not to comment on Rose's eye roll but instead decided to focus on the adventure ahead. Excitement flushed through her and a big smile found its way onto her face.

She was going to have a great day.

~*~*~*~*~

A/N: Bit of a Doctor/Zana moment...


	7. The Girl in the Fireplace

"Mickey, come on!" Zana grabbed the man's hand as she pulled him out of the TARDIS doors. The Doctor hadn't really said anything since he landed us, but Zana was too excited for the adventure ahead to really notice.

"I'm coming!" Mickey laughed at her enthusiasm, but his eyes widened once he caught sight of their destination. "It's a spaceship. Brilliant! I got a spaceship on my first go!"

"It looks kind of abandoned," Zana looked around at the scattered pieces of equipment as the Doctor and Rose stepped out of the spaceship. "Anyone on board, Doctor?"

"Nah, nothing here. Well, nothing dangerous. Well, not that dangerous," the Doctor paused when Rose gave him a look. "You know what, I'll just have a quick scan, in case there's anything dangerous.

"So, what's the date? How far have we gone?" Rose watched as he stepped up to a control panel, picking up a handful of bits and pieces as he looked over everything.

"About three thousand years into your future, give or take," he informed as he pulled up on a lever, making the ceiling open up to show the stars overhead, Zana looked on in awe. They were so beautiful... "Fifty-first century. Diagmar Cluster, you're a long way from home, Mickey. Two and a half galaxies."

Rose moved over to Mickey, who was staring out of a window. Zana smiled as she rested her hands on his shoulder and smiled at him. "Mickey Smith, meet the universe. See anything you like?"

"It's so realistic!" Mickey grinned happily.

"Dear me, had some cowboys in here," the Doctor muttered, dropping the collection of useless pieces back down onto the panel. "Got a ton of repair work going on..." Zana walked over and was soon joined by Rose and Mickey as a computer came to life, revealing the exterior of the ship. "Now that's odd...Look at that. All the warp engines are going. Full capacity. There's enough power running through this ship to punch a hole in the universe, but we're not moving. So where's all that power going?"

"Where did everyone go?" Zana looked around. "Surely someone would know we were here by now."

"Good question. No life readings on board," he murmured as he read the readings from the computer.

"Well, we're in deep space. They didn't just nip out for a quick fag," Rose commented,

"No, I've checked all the smoking pods," Zana raised an eyebrow when he sniffed the air. "Can you smell that?"

"Yeah, someone's cooking," Rose nodded.

"Sunday roast, definitely," Mickey agreed.

The Doctor pressed down on a button, making the wall behind the three move away to reveal a whole other room. "Well, there's something you don't see in your average spaceship," he commented as the small group walked towards the newly discovered room.

A fireplace immediately caught Zana's eye, making her frown in confusion. "Mind explaining that, Doctor?"

"Eighteenth-century. French," he informed before pulling out the sonic screwdriver, scanning over it. "Nice mantle. Not a hologram," he frowned, knocking on the wood. "It's not even a reproduction. This actually is an eighteenth-century French fireplace. Double-sided. There's another room through there."

"There can't be," Rose shook her head as she looked out of a window. "That's the outer hull of the ship. Look."

Zana walked over and looked out towards the stars. Rose was right.

"Hello," the Doctor smiled, making Rose and Zana turn to see him crouched down, smiling into the fireplace.

"Hello," a young girl's replied. The two women instantly moved to see who he was talking to. Much to Zana's surprise, on the other side of the fire, was a young girl with long, blonde hair. She was dressed in a nightgown and was obviously in her bedroom, which Zana didn't get. How was that even possible?

"What's your name?" the Doctor asked the girl.

"Reinette," she informed softly.

"Reinette, that's a lovely name," he smiled. "Can you tell me where you are at the moment, Reinette?

"In my bedroom."

"And where's your bedroom? Where do you live, Reinette?"

"Paris, of course!"

"Paris, right," he nodded.

"Monsieur, what are you doing in my fireplace?"

"Oh, it's just a routine...fire check. Can you tell me what year it is?"

"Of course I can. Seventeen hundred and twenty-seven."

"Right, lovely. One of my favorites. August is rubbish though," he paused. "Stay indoors. Okay, that's all for now. Thanks for your help. Hope you enjoy the rest of the fire. Night, night."

"Goodnight Monsieur."

"You said this was the fifty-first century," Mickey said as soon as the Doctor stood up.

"I also said this ship was generating enough power to punch a hole in the universe. I think we just found the hole. Must be a Spatio-temporal hyperlink," the Doctor told them.

"What's that?"

"No idea. Just made it up. Didn't want to say magic door."

Zana chuckled, "And on the other side of the magic door is France in 1727?"

"Well, she was speaking French. Right period French, too!"

"She was speaking English, I heard her!" Mickey frowned.

"Yeah, I did too," Zana added.

"That's the TARDIS. Translates for you," Rose smiled at the two of them.

Mickey gawked, "Even French?"

"Yeah," she grinned.

"Gotcha!" the Doctor exclaimed suddenly, making the three of them turn to see him holding onto the fireplace.

"Doctor!"

He didn't reply as the wall rotated like out of an old horror film, making him disappear.

"Wow..." Zana looked on, impressed. "I want a go."

"Where did he go?" Mickey asked hurriedly.

"I'm guessing he's with that Reinette," Zana looked back at him.

"But...how did he do that?"

"Magic," she joked.

"No way."

"Yeah, I haven't the foggiest. What about you, Rose?"

"I...don't know," she shrugged.

"Is he coming back?" Mickey pondered.

Zana nodded, "I'd say so. The TARDIS is here."

"Yeah, good point."

They sat in silence for a moment, but it was interrupted by the Doctor's dramatic return. The fireplace spun back to its original place, but this time there was a struggling...well, Zana didn't know what it was, but it was struggling.

"Doctor!" Rose exclaimed as the Doctor rushed over to them and grabbed something resembling a gun off the wall beside them. Zana winced as he aimed it at what she assumed was a robot and pulled the trigger, expecting it to explode into pieces. Instead, white smoke filled the air, making the robot stop its struggling.

"Excellent. Ice gun," Mickey grinned excitedly.

"Fire extinguisher," the Doctor corrected, tossing it back to Rose.

"Where did that thing come from?" Rose frowned.

"Here."

"So why is it dressed like that?"

"Field trip to France. Some kind of basic camouflage protocol. Nice needlework, shame about the face," the Doctor stepped towards it and took the mask from its face. Zana watched as his eyes instantly widened in delight, making her smile softly. Under the mask was a clear head, filled with golden clockwork. She'd admit, it was pretty impressive. "Oh, you are beautiful! No, really, you are. You're gorgeous! Look at that. Space-age clockwork, I love it. I've got chills! Listen, seriously, I mean this from the heart, and, by the way, count those," he drew an X on both sides of his chest with his finger. "It would be a crime, it would be an act of vandalism to disassemble you," he held up the sonic screwdriver. "But that won't stop me."

The robot immediately pressed its fingers to its wrist, making it disappear.

"Where's it go?" Zana asked quickly.

"Short-range teleport. Can't have got far. Could still be on board," he informed.

"What is it?" Rose frowned.

"Don't go looking for it!" the Doctor replied as he stepped back on the platform beside the fireplace.

"Where're you going?"

"Back in a sec," he didn't even look up as the wall spun again. When he was out of sight, Rose hefted the fire extinguisher in her hands.

"He said not to look for it," Mickey reminded her.

"Yeah, he did," she answered simply. A grin formed on Mickey's lips as he moved forward and grabbed an extinguisher for himself. "Now you're getting it! Come on, Zana!"

"I don't- I mean, there's not another fire extinguisher," she started.

"Mickey and I got it handled," she assured.

Zana looked over their grinning faces before laughing and following after them excitedly.

~*~*~*~*~

"Mickey, what are you doing?" Zana smiled softly, watching as he rolled along the floor as if he was in the middle of an action movie.

Mickey just grinned before rushing forward, but he soon came to a stop when something strange caught his eye. "Are you looking at me?"

"What is it?" Zana moved to stand beside the bewildered man and gasped. Right in front of them was a camera, well, something like that. But instead of the usual lens, there was a human eye staring back at them. "What the hell? Rose!"

Moments later, the blonde rushed over to them. "Yeah, Zana?"

"Look at that," she pointed at the camera, which blinked at the trio.

"That's an eye in there. That's a real eye!" Mickey exclaimed.

As soon as the words left his mouth, the camera retracted back into the ship. Almost immediately. A thumping noise occupied the silence. Zana and Rose shared a look before crouching down.

"Shall I do it?" Rose asked, motioning towards the hatch before them.

"Please, be my guest," the youngest of the three replied briskly.

A chuckle left Rose's lips as she reached out for the small handle. She quickly pulled it open, carefully not to burn her fingers against the hot metal. Dread coursed through her veins at the sight before her.

"What is that? What's that in the middle there? Looks like it's wired in," Mickey commented, gazing at all the wires and pipes that surrounded the beating muscle in front of them.

"It's a heart, Mickey," Zana informed solemnly. "It's a human heart.

~*~*~*~*~

"Maybe it wasn't a real heart," Mickey kept repeated as the three wandered the corridors, a lot less happy than they were before.

"Course it was a real heart," Rose retorted, a tad irritated.

"Is this like normal for you? Is this an average day?" He asked, much to the relief of Zana. She was starting to grow curious about that as well. Just what had she gotten herself into?

"Life with the Doctor, Mickey?" Rose glanced back at him. "No more average days."

Zana bit her lip as Rose stopped them in front of a window. Once again, her mind was buzzing. Who's heart was that? Why was it there? Were Rose, Mickey, and her next? She hoped not.

"It's France again. We can see France," Mickey pulled her from her thoughts. She gazed through the window to see a room, which was being entered by a group of 18th-century men.

"I think we're looking through a mirror," Zana murmured absently.

Mickey shook his head, watching as one of the men argued with the others. "Blimey, look at this guy. Who does he think he is?"

"The King of France," the Doctor's voice rang out, making Zana jump. She turned to see the Time Lord standing behind her.

"Oh, here's trouble. What you been up to?" Rose smiled at him.

"Oh, this and that. Became the imaginary friend of a future French aristocrat, picked a fight with a clockwork man," the neighing of a horse made Zana raise an eyebrow. "Oh, and I met a horse."

"What's a horse doing on a spaceship?" Mickey pondered.

"Mickey, what's pre-revolutionary France doing on a spaceship? Get a little perspective," the Doctor retorted before looking back at the mirror. "See these? They're all over the place. On every deck. Gateways to history. But not just any old history..." A blonde woman in a lavish dress stepped into the room and curtsied for King Louis. "Hers. Time windows deliberately arranged along the life of one particular woman. A spaceship from the fifty-first century stalking a woman from the eighteenth. Why?"

"Who is she?" Rose asked softly.

"Jeanne-Antoinette Poisson, known to her friends as Reinette. One of the most accomplished women who ever lived."

"So has she got plans of being the Queen, then?"

"No, he's already got a Queen. She's got plans of being his mistress," he informed bluntly.

"Oh, I get it," Rose smirked. "Camilla."

"I think this is the night they met. The night of the Yew Tree ball. In no time at flat, she'll get herself established as his official mistress, with her own rooms at the palace. Even her own title."

"Madame de Pompadour," Zana spoke up while the Doctor watched as the woman in question stepped up to the mirror, looking over herself. When she didn't get a reply from the Doctor, she glanced up at the alien and noticed a peculiar look on his features.

"The Queen must have loved her," Rose commented.

"Oh, she did. They get on very well," the Doctor replied absently.

Mickey scoffed in disbelief, "The King's wife and the King's girlfriend?"

"France. It's a different planet."

"Who's that?" Zana frowned as a person in a red dress caught her eye. They were standing in the shadows of the room Reinette was in, looking out the window.

"How long have you been standing there? Show yourself!" Reinette demanded loudly, having noticed them in the mirror. The figure turned to reveal itself as one of the Clockwork Droids. The Doctor instantly set into action and yanked the fire extinguisher from Mickey's grasp.

"Hello, Reinette. Hasn't time flown?" he smiled at her as he stepped into the room, followed closely by Rose, Mickey, and Zana.

"Fireplace man!" Reinette exclaimed happily.

He spent no time disabling the droid before tossing the extinguisher back to Mickey.

"What's it doing?" Zana questioned quietly as the gears of the robot started to tick and whir. 

"Switching back on. Melting the ice," the Doctor looked back at her as he stepped closer to the droid.

"And then what?"

"Then it kills everyone in the room," the droid's arm shot forward, nearly striking the Doctor in the face. "Focuses the mind, doesn't it? Who are you? Identify yourself." When it didn't reply, he turned to Reinette. "Order it to answer me."

She looked on, confused, "Why should it listen to me?"

"I don't know. It did when you were a child." He stepped forward and murmured in her ear, "Let's see if you've still got it."

"Answer his question," Reinette ordered. "Answer any and all questions put to you."

The droid lowered its arm. "I am repair droid seven." 

"What happened to the ship, then?" the Doctor raised an eyebrow. "There was a lot of damage."

"Ion storm. Eighty-two percent systems failure."

"That ship hasn't moved in over a year. What's taken you so long?"

"We did not have the parts."

"Always comes down to that, doesn't it? The parts," Mickey laughed softly, earning a slight chuckle from Zana.

"What's happened to the crew? Where are they?" the Doctor pushed.

"We did not have the parts," the robot repeated monotonously.

"There should have been over fifty people on your ship! Where did they go?"

"We did not have the parts."

"Fifty people don't just disappear! Where-" Something donned on him. "Oh. You didn't have the parts, so you used the crew..."

"The crew?" Mickey asked, confused.

"There was an eye in a camera...and a heart...there was a heart wired into the ship," Zana gulped, feeling the contents of her stomach churn. Everything was getting way to morbid for her liking.

"It was just doing what it was programmed to. Repairing the ship any way it can, with whatever it could find..." the Doctor informed softly, seeing that his new companion was struggling a bit. "No one told it the crew weren't on the menu. What did you say the flight deck smelt of?"

"Someone cooking," Rose realized.

"Flesh plus heat. Barbeque."

"I'm gonna be sick," Zana shook her head quickly. "That's awful..."

Rose placed a hand on her shoulder, trying to comfort her the best she could.

"But what are you doing here? You've opened up time windows. That takes colossal energy. Why come here? You could have gone to your repair yard!" the Doctor gazed at the droid, confused. "Instead you come to eighteenth-century France? Why?"

"One more part is required," it told him, cocking its neck so it was looking at Reinette.

The Doctor looked between the two, "Then why haven't you taken it?"

"She is incomplete."

"What, so, that's the plan, then. Just keep opening up more and more time windows, scanning her brain, checking to see if she's done yet."

"Why her?" Rose spoke up. "You've got all of history to choose from. Why specifically her?"

The robot whirred, "We are the same."

"We are not the same. We are in no sense the same!" Reinette retorted.

"We are the same."

Get out of here. Get out of here this instant!" She snapped angrily.

"Reinette, no-" the Doctor tried, but it was too late. The droid had already disappeared. "It's back on the ship. Rose, take Mickey, Zana, and Arthur. Get after it. Follow it. Don't approach it, just watch what it does."

"Arthur?" Rose raised an eyebrow.

"Good name for a horse!"

She let out an exasperated sigh, "No, you're not keeping the horse."

"I let you keep Zana and Mickey. Now go! Go! Go!"

He shooed the three of them out of the room and back onto the ship, closing the mirror behind them. Zana had managed to calm herself down enough to think straight again, which she was extremely grateful for. She had to keep reminding herself that this was what she had signed herself up for. She chose to be in these kinds of situations!

"So, that Doctor, eh?" Mickey had a smug look on his face as they walked down the corridor, looking for the droid.

"What are you talking about?" Rose gave him a look and Zana made sure to walk a few steps behind them. She didn't want to get involved with this.

"Well...Madame de Pompadour, Sarah Jane Smith, Cleopatra-"

"Cleopatra!" Rose scoffed. "He mentioned her once."

"Yeah, but he called her Cleo," he countered.

"You two are-" Zana started, but something covered her mouth and pulled her backward. She looked up and began to panic when she was met with the face of the droid.

"Mickey! Zana!" Rose exclaimed as the two of them were grabbed by droids as well.

Zana's eyes widened in fear when she caught sight of a huge needle being brought towards her neck. Needles! If there was any possible way this situation could've gotten worse, it would have been with needles! Just her bloody luck! She struggled against the robot's grasp, but to no avail as the needle sunk into her neck, sending her into a dreamless sleep.

~*~*~*~*~

A/N: I really need to work on my writing skills, huh?


	8. The Girl in the Fireplace Pt. 2

Zana woke to a sharp stinging on the right side of her neck. A soft groan escaped her lips as she blinked a few times, trying to adjust her eyes to the bright fluorescent lights of the futuristic spaceship. She tried to raise her hand so she could rub her eyes, but she soon found that she was restrained. Great. Just her luck.

"Zana?" Rose's voice made her turn her head to see that she too, along with Mickey, was tied down.

"Are you alright? What about you, Mickey?" Zana asked her quickly, seeing that they weren't alone. The Clockwork Droids were watching them like hawks.

"They're going to chop us up, just like the crew. They're going to chop us up and stick us all over their stupid spaceship!" Mickey exclaimed as he panicked. Zana gulped as he looked at Rose. "And where's the Doctor? Where's the precious Doctor now? He's been gone for flipping hours, that's where he is!"

The gears of one of the droids clicked as it moved closer to the blonde. "You are compatible."

"Well, you might want to think about that," Rose told it, trying, but failing, to seem frightening. Zana leaned her head back onto the platform she was on and let out a deep breath. She had faith in Rose. Hopefully, she knew what the hell she was doing. "You really, really, might, because me and Mickey, we didn't come here alone. Oh no. And trust me, you wouldn't want to mess with our designated driver."

Zana gasped along with Rose as a blade extended from the droid's hand. It was a mere few inches from Rose's throat.

"Ever heard of the Daleks? Remember them?" Rose's voice sounded more panicked than before. "They had a name for our friend. They had myths about him and a name. They called him the-" a loud crash rang out, followed by a familiar voice drunkenly belting out a tune.

"I could've danced all night, I could've danced all night-"

Rose tried to ignore it, "They called him the..They called him the, the-"

Zana's eyes widened in surprise when the Doctor sauntered in, with his tie around his head and a goblet-looking cup in his hand.

"And still have begged for more! I could've spread my wings and done a thou- Have you met the French?" He suddenly quit singing and asked the three shocked humans. None of them answered. They simply gaped at him. "My god, they know how to party."

"Oh, look at what the cat dragged in," Rose glared at him, clearly annoyed. "The Oncoming Storm."

She couldn't tell because of the sunglasses he was donning, but Zana just had a feeling the Doctor rolled his eyes at the comment. "Oh, you sound just like your mother."

"What've you been doing? Where've you been?"

"Well, among other things, I think just invented the banana daiquiri a few centuries early. Do you know, they've never even seen a banana before!" He stepped up to her and grinned. "Always take a banana to a party, Rose. Bananas are good!"

"You can't be serious right now," Zana shook her head, still having trouble believing that the Doctor had just gone off and partied away while they had been here, being held captive by evil bloody robots.

"Serious as a heart attack," his grin widened before turning to the droid next to Rose and laughing. "Oh ho, ho, ho, ho, brilliant. It's you! You're my favorite, you are! You are the best! Do you know why? Because you're so...thick! You're Mister Thick Thick Thickety Thick Face from Thicktown, Thickania," he went to walk away, but turned back quickly, "And so's your dad."

"Wow. Don't spare its feelings or anything," Zana muttered sarcastically under her breath as he wandered around the room, ignoring the anxious look Rose was sending him. She did, after all, still have a blade to her throat.

"Do you know what they were scanning Reinette's brain for? Her milometer. They want to know how old she is. Know why? Because this ship is thirty-seven years old, and they think that when Reinette is thirty-seven, when she's complete, then her brain will be compatible," he informed, making Zana frown. "So, that's what you're missing, isn't it, hmm? Command circuit. Your computer. Your ship needs a brain! And for some reason, God knows what, only the brain of Madame de Pompadour will do."

"The brain is compatible," the droid informed with its monotonic voice.

"Compatible?" The Doctor's voice suddenly sounded a lot more sober, surprising the brunette. "If you believe that, you probably believe this is a glass of wine." He pulled off the droids mask and poured a red substance from the cup he had been holding into its head, causing it to seize up. The other droids spun into action, but he quickly reached over and pushed down a lever on the console. "Right, you three, that's enough lying about. Time we got the rest of the ship turned off."

"Are those things safe?" Mickey asked him as he used the sonic screwdriver to unlock the restraints around their wrists. Zana smiled gratefully at him when she was standing upright, earning a small smile back before he quickly moved back to the console of the ship, pulling his tie down so it was back around his neck and his sunglasses onto his head.

"Yeah. Safe. Safe and thick, way I like them. Okay. All the time windows are controlled from here. I need to close them all down," he informed quickly as he searched his pockets frantically. "Zeus plugs. Where are my Zeus plugs? I had them a minute ago. I was using them as castanets!"

"Why didn't they just open a time window to when she was thirty-seven?" Zana pondered aloud.

"With the amount of damage to these circuits, they did well to hit the right century. Trial and error after that. The windows aren't closing. Why won't they close?" the Doctor muttered to himself just as a bell dinged.

"What's that?" Rose frowned.

"I don't know. Incoming message?" the Doctor muttered.

"From who?" Mickey looked around the room.

"Report from the field. One of them must still be out there with Reinette. That's why I can't close the windows. There's an override."

"Oh my...that can't be good," Zana muttered as the droid the Doctor had poured oil on expelled it from its finger, onto the ground, and his shoes.

"Well, that was a bit clever," he murmured just as the off switch pulled itself back on, reactivating the other droids. "Right. Many things about this are not good. Message from one of your little friends? Anything interesting?"

She is complete. It begins," it replied before every single one of them teleported away.

"What's happening?" Rose inquired instantly.

"One of them must have found the right time window. Now it's time to send in the troops. And this time they're bringing back her head," he replied solemnly.

"Well we have to warn her somehow," Zana spoke up. "Doctor, how are we going to do that?"

He ran a hand through his hair, "I...oh! The time windows!"

"The time windows?"

"We can warn the past her, let her know what's going to happen!"

"I'll do it," Rose volunteered instantly.

"Right. Tell her to keep them talking. She's the only one they listen to," the Doctor told her quickly. "Hurry, go, go, go!"

"Zana, watch them," she nodded before taking off.

"Uh..." Zana went to reply, but she had already taken off. She turned back around to see the Doctor frantically pressing buttons and flipping switches, looking for the correct time window. She watched him a moment before stepping up to him. He was obviously very distressed about Reinette, and that intrigued her. They hardly knew each other, yet here he is, acting as if the world is ending. And what about Rose? Didn't they have something? "Doctor?"

"What is it, Zana? Kinda busy at the moment," he replied hurriedly.

"Have you met Madame de Pompadour before?"

"Not before today, no. Why?"

"Just curious," she shrugged.

"No, what is it?" He looked up at her, his work forgotten for the moment.

"It's nothing, Doctor. You had better hurry. A woman's life is at stake," she reminded him as she leaned against the TARDIS. "Go on, then."

He eyed her a moment before returning to what he had been doing. Mickey looked between the two curiously, and just when he went to ask Zana about the encounter, the Doctor had ordered him to go get Rose.

"Did you find the window?" Mickey asked.

"Of course I found the window! Now go! Quick!"

Mickey gave him a look before dashing off, muttering something under his breath.

A sigh escaped Zana's lips as she looked down at her worn trainers, "Why do you treat him like that?"

"Like what?"

"An idiot."

"Because he's Mickey the Idiot. Why else would I treat him like that?"

"What makes him an idiot? The fact that he got to Rose before you did?" She raised an eyebrow. The Doctor's mouth fell open a bit, but she continued. "Oh, don't act like I don't see how you two look at each other. Mickey's amazing and clever, and just as important as the rest of us. Don't let your infatuation with Rose blind you from that."

The Doctor stood there, stunned. Zana was slightly proud of herself for rendering the Time Lord speechless, but that didn't last to wrong, as Mickey quickly rushed into the room.

"Where's Rose?" Zana asked as the Doctor decided to start working on opening the time window. As soon as the words left her mouth, Rose rushed into the room.

"I don't get it. How come they got in there?" Rose asked, referring to the Clockwork Droids that were now in the court of Versailles, creating a huge commotion. The screams and the cries of the people hadn't gone unnoticed by the others, but Zana had chosen not to mention it. She had no reason to.

"They teleported. You saw them. As long as the ship and the ballroom are linked, their short-range teleports will do the trick," the Doctor told her he ran from one part of the room to the other.

"Well, we'll go in the TARDIS!" Rose tried.

"We can't use the TARDIS. We're part of events now!"

"Well, can't we just smash through?" Mickey suggested.

"Hyperplex this side, plate glass the other. We need a truck."

"We don't have a truck."

"I know we don't have a truck!" He yelled, frustrated.

"Well, we've got to try something," Zana spoke up.

"No. Smash the glass, smash the time window. There'd be no way back," he informed with a solemn tone before getting back to work.

"Wait a minute," something donned on Mickey. "Where's that horse?"

"What's a horse got to do with anything?" Rose raised an eyebrow.

"He can use the horse to break through, can't he?"

"Brilliant!" Zana laughed excitedly. "We can save her!"

"Arthur!" The Doctor called for the white horse quickly, and within seconds, the horse galloped into the room. Without hesitating, the Doctor jumped on it's back and took its reigns into his hands.

"Be careful," Zana told him. "Got it?"

He gave her a small smile before taking off on the horse, the two of them jumping through the window, sending a few pieces of glass back in the humans' direction. When the excitement died down, they looked back at where the window had been to see a brick wall in its place.

~*~*~*~

"Rose?" Zana spoke softly as she moved towards her friend. Rose hadn't said a word since the Doctor had gone to save Reinette three hours back, and it was starting to worry her. She knew that the fact that they were stuck there didn't bother Rose, it was the fact that the Doctor couldn't come back that had sent her into silence.

The blonde shook her head at her name being called and turned to face her friend, "Yeah? What is it, Zana?"

"Everything is going to be okay, you know that, yeah? He's the Doctor, he'll figure something out...right?" Zana looked over her, seeing that she was on the verge of tears.

"He's gone..." her voice broke.

"Rose..." Zana stepped forward and pulled her into a hug. She stood there and tried to comfort her friend as she sobbed into her shoulder. She wasn't quite sure what to tell her. After all, she had no idea if the Doctor was coming back. Everything pointed to no, he wasn't coming back, and that admittedly worried her.

~*~*~*~*~

"Hey," Mickey sat down next to the brunette, who was leaning against the TARDIS, trying not to fall asleep. Five hours of waiting wore her out, surprisingly.

"Hey," Zana glanced over at him, leaning her head back against the blue, wooden door of the Doctor's spaceship. "Holding up okay?"

"Doing fine," he nodded. "Just worried about how we're gonna get back."

"Me too..." she admitted. "But I think everything's going to turn out fine."

"What makes you say that?"

She gave him a lazy smile and closed her eyes, "I'm quite the optimist, you'll find. Mind you, I slip in and out of optimism. Constantly being positive would kill a person, wouldn't you think?"

He chuckled softly, "Why haven't I met you before, Zana?"

"Before Christmas, you mean? Well, I'm an introvert," she smile slyly.

He nodded, "I get it. People can be a handful."

"Yeah," she agreed. "Definitely."

"Doctor!" Rose suddenly exclaimed loudly, making Zana jump in her place. Her eyes widened when she saw the Doctor himself pulling Rose into a tight embrace.

"How long did you wait?" the Doctor asked her with a smile as Zana and Mickey stood up and joined the two of them.

"Five and a half hours," Rose laughed, pulling away.

"Great. Always wait five and a half hours," he grinned before moving to hug Mickey, but instead shook his hand.

"Where've you been?" Zana chuckled and let the Doctor pull her into a hug.

"Explain later. Into the TARDIS," he pulled back and gave her a quick smile before rushing off towards the fireplace that had started everything in the first place. "Be with you in a sec!"

Mickey excitedly rushed into the time machine, followed by an equally excited Zana. Rose lingered behind, but eventually, she joined the other two. Zana plopped down on the captain's seat, grinning like an idiot at the console.

"Why her? Why did they think they could repair the ship with the head of Madame de Pompadour?" Rose asked the Doctor as he walked into the spaceship a few minutes later, his happy demeanor visibly gone. A frown formed on Zana's face as she watched him. Something had happened...

"We'll probably never know. There was massive damage to the computer memory banks. It probably got confused," he replied quietly as he stepped up to the controls of his ship and flipped a few switches. "The TARDIS can close down the time windows now the droids are gone. Should stop it causing any more trouble."

"Are you alright?" Rose's voice softened, having noticed his mood change as well.

"I'm always alright," he gave her a small, obviously fake, smile before looking back down at the controls.

Mickey reached out and took Rose's hand, seeing that the Doctor wanted to be alone. "Come on, Rose. It's time you showed me around the rest of this place."

Rose took one more glance at the Time Lord before following Mickey down one of the many endless corridors.

"I'm sorry," Zana voiced softly once they were out of earshot, making him jump slightly.

He turned around to look at her, "About what?"

"About Reinette," she sighed. "I'm guessing something happened."

"Yeah..." he looked down at his trainers.

Zana stood up and stepped up to him, "I'm here if you need anything."

"Thanks, Zana," he nodded and smiled at her, just as he had done to Rose moments before.

She took his hand, "I'm serious."

"I know," he let out a sigh. "Really, I do."

She looked at him, a sad look on her face. She felt bad for him. He obviously really liked Reinette...

"I'll leave you alone, then...Goodnight, Doctor," she squeezed his hand before dropping it and making her way down a corridor, the opposite direction her two friends had gone earlier.

~*~*~*~*~

"There's no way this is the original copy," Zana muttered as she looked over the cover of the worn book she had in her hands. "And I'm pretty sure he didn't name it Nostradamus's Big Book of Prophecies."

She flipped open the book and looked over the worn pages, marveling over the writing. She wasn't quite sure how she was reading it, though. Nostradamus was French.

"What have you got there?" the Doctor's voice made her jump in surprise, nearly dropping the book in the process. Luckily, the Doctor had caught it.

"A book. What else would I have in a library?" Zana replied once her heart rate calmed. "And why does it say it's the original copy? And what's with the wonky title? I mean, it's obviously Les Propheties, but there's just no way that this is the same journal Nostradamus wrote in."

"Oh, it is," the Doctor said simply, looking over the pages. "He gave it to me after I stopped the Cybermen from upgrading him. They thought that his gifts could be useful."

She raised an eyebrow as he handed her the book, "Cybermen? And even if they did 'upgrade' him, whatever that means, it would be useless. He didn't actually predict the future, you know. People believe that due to his book being mistranslated."

"See, he knew people like you were going to say that."

"No, he didn't."

"He knew you were going to say that too."

She gave him a look, "There's just no way a human can do that."

"Who said he was human?"

"Doctor, he-...wait, what?"

He chuckled and shook his head, "Don't worry, he was human. A very special human."

"That's just...I suppose I've always been one for logic," she chuckled and looked down at the cover, tracing the faded words with her finger.

"Sometimes logic just gets in the way of what's really there," he replied, a small smile gracing his lips as he watched her inspect the book. She definitely intrigued him, there was no denying it.

"Well, I had better be off to bed," Zana spoke up after a moment of comfortable silence. "Might I ask what we're doing tomorrow?"

"Haven't the foggiest," he grinned. "More fun that way."

"You just go where the wind takes you?"

"That's me."

"That's probably the reason why you end up having to save people."

"It's a good thing I do it then, huh?"

She smiled, "I suppose so. Well, I'll see you in the morning. Sleep well, Doctor."

"And you," his eyes followed her as she left the room, and he couldn't help but let his smile return. He was really starting to appreciate letting her stay on board the TARDIS. He had done it for Rose's benefit, after all. She had practically begged him to let Zana stay, and no matter how hard he tried, he could never say no to Rose. But, maybe...part of him wanted her to stay as well. There was no denying that she was clever, and he liked clever. Then again, there was a lot that he didn't know about her. He hadn't exactly known her for all that long, and for all he knew, she could be someone who was out to make his life a living hell. It sure wouldn't be the first time that had happened to him, and he was willing to be it wouldn't be the last time, either. He may not know too much about his new companion, but there was one thing the Doctor knew for sure...

Zana Kline was definitely something else.

~*~*~*~*~

A/N: Sorry it took so long to update. :/


	9. Rise of the Cybermen

"Zana...Zana..." a soft voice whispered, causing the bewildered brunette to look around the dark room she had wandered into. She wasn't too sure as to why she'd even followed the noise in the first place. Her curiosity always did get the best of her. But then again, it seemed familiar. Like it as someone she could trust. Someone she loved. "Zana..."

"Who's there?" She finally replied, trying to adjust her eyes to the darkness that surrounded her. "Hello?"

"Zana? Zana, can you hear me?"

"Obviously I can, I replied to you." She could almost hear the man's eyes rolling, which she found amusing.

"Where are you?"

She frowned at the peculiar question. This was a dream. An outlandish dream, but a dream nonetheless. So why the hell is a figment of her own imagination asking her where she is?

"Clearly you already know the answer," she answered after a moment. "I'm in my head. Same as you."

"In time and space, where are you?" The voice retorted, its tone changing to one of slight annoyance. "Zana, I need to know. It's of the utmost importance."

"No one says 'upmost'."

"Zana!"

"Even if I did know, why would it matter? What the hell kind of dream is this?" She muttered to herself. "Now that I think about it...this is a bloody dream. I shouldn't even comprehend that I'm in a dream...maybe the TARDIS is affecting my head somehow..."

"TARDIS? You're in the TARDIS?" The mystery voice asked quickly. "With the Doctor?"

"How do you...oh, right. My head."

"Zana Kline, you need to listen to me. The Doctor, he's nothing but trouble."

"I've figured that out, thanks subconscious."

"I'm not your-" the man huffed, "Never mind. Look, it's worse than you can ever imagine. Every person that has ever set foot on that TARDIS before you, what happened to them?"

"I haven't asked. It didn't seem like it was any of my business."

"It's very unlike you not to ask."

"He's different. He's a mystery I'm not sure I want to uncover," she admitted softly.

The mystery man sighed before suddenly calling out her name once more, "Zana...Zana! Zana!"

*****

Zana sat up quickly as her name echoed through her head, but the voice only became louder. It took her a good five seconds to realize that the Doctor was the one calling her name outside her bedroom door.

"What?" She finally called back to the restless Time Lord. "What do you want?"

"Get up!"

"Why?"

"So we can go somewhere, why else would I want you to wake up?"

She groaned and let herself fall back onto the bed. "Is everyone else up?"

"Yup. So rise and shine! The universe awaits!"

"The universe awaits," she mocked quietly as she sat up and rubbed the sleep from her blue eyes. Eventually, she managed to drag herself out of bed and pulled on an outfit. She didn't bother glancing at the mirror as she walked by because if she did, she'd just end up critiquing everything about herself. It was a bad habit of hers.

"...and that weird munchkin lady with the big eyes? Do you remember? The way she looked at you! And then she opens her mouth and fire comes out!" The Doctor's voice rang out loudly as Zana stepped into the console room. She looked around the room to see him and Rose sitting on the captain's seat while Mickey stood at the console, his fingers pressed against a button on the control panel.

"I thought I was going to get frazzled!" Rose laughed along with him as the brunette moved to stand next to Mickey, who was smiling at the two, obviously interested in the story.

Zana gave him a small smile when he turned to look at her, "Morning, Mickey."

"Good morning," he nodded before turning back to the others, not wanting to miss anything.

"Yeah. One minute she's standing there, and the next minute roar!" The Doctor and Rose's laughs increased in volume, drawing her attention back to them.

"Yeah. where was that, then? What happened?" Mickey pondered aloud, chuckling as he watched them.

"Oh, it was on this er, this er planet thing. Asteroid. It's a long story, you had to be there," the Doctor waved him off, and Mickey's smile fell. "Er, what're you doing that for?"

Mickey looked down at the button he was pressing and frowned. "Because you told me to."

"When was that?" The Doctor seemed completely oblivious.

"About half an hour ago."

"Umm..you can let go now," he gave Mickey a sly smile as Rose laughed quietly.

"Well, how long's it been since I could've stopped?" Mickey demanded.

"Ten minutes? Twenty? Twenty-nine?"

"You just forgot him!" Zana spoke up, surprising Rose and the Doctor both, and admittedly, surprising herself. But she couldn't help it. She had to stick up for Mickey, he deserved it.

"No, no, no. I was just, I was-I was calibrating. I was just...No, I know exactly what I'm doing," the Doctor tried, but just as Zana went to insult him, a large explosion knocked her to the floor. Rose let out a shout as she landed on the ground, and the Doctor was quick to get up and move to the control panel, worriedly looking over it.

"What the hell was that?" Zana demanded as she sat up and gripped onto the edge of the console. The TARDIS seemed to be spinning out of control!

"The time vortex is gone. That's impossible! It's just gone!" The Doctor gaped. "Brace yourself! We're going to crash!"

Just as the words left his mouth, the TARDIS jolted to an abrupt stop. Zana coughed and tried covering her mouth, but it didn't stop the smoke from entering her already burning lungs. Gas masks extended from the ceiling, but she didn't bother grabbing one as she stood up and waved the vapors from her face.

"Everyone all right? Rose? Zana? Mickey? " The Doctor asked quickly.

"I'm fine. I'm okay," Mickey nodded. "Sorry. Yeah."

"She's dead," the Doctor breathed as the others stood. Zana looked over at him, the tone of his voice worrying her. "The TARDIS is dead."

"You can fix it?" Rose asked hopefully.

"There's nothing to fix. She's perished. The last TARDIS in the universe. Extinct."

Zana shook her head, not wanting to believe what the Time Lord was telling them. But the Doctor's voice proved to her that he was right. He sounded so...broken. Like a piece of him had just disappeared.

"We can get help, yeah?" Rose's voice quivered.

"Where from?"

"Well, we've landed. We've got to be somewhere!"

"We fell out of the vortex, through the void, into nothingness," the Doctor informed solemnly. "We're in some sort of no place. The silent realm. The lost dimension-"

"Otherwise known as London!" Mickey laughed.

Rose, Zana, and the Doctor all turned to look at him, only to see him walking out of the TARDIS, onto a London street.

"London, England, Earth. Hold on," Mickey reached down and grabbed a newspaper off the ground as the others stepped out of the lifeless box. "First of February this year. Not exactly far-flung, is it?"

"So this is London," the Doctor muttered, looking around disbelievingly as Rose moved to look at the newspaper.

"Yep," Mickey nodded, not looking up from the paper.

"Your city."

"That's the one."

"Just as we left it."

"Bang on."

"And that includes the Zeppelins?"

"What?" Zana frowned, but the Doctor just nodded behind her. She spun around and gasped at the Zeppelins flying through the sky. "Where's the planes? Are we in the future or something?"

"Not the future, no."

"That's beautiful," Rose breathed as one passed overhead.

"Okay, so it's London with a big international Zeppelin festival," Mickey reasoned.

The Doctor shook his head, "This is not your world."

"But if the date's the same, it's parallel, right? Am I right?" Mickey realized excitedly. "Like a parallel Earth where they've got Zeppelins. Am I right? I'm right, aren't I?"

"Must be," the Doctor replied bluntly as Zana spun around in a circle, taking everything in.

"So, a parallel world where..." Rose began.

"Oh, come on," Mickey turned towards her. "You've seen it on films. Like an alternative to our world where everything's the same but a little bit different, like, I don't know, traffic lights are blue, Tony Blair never got elected."

"And he's still alive," she breathed, her eyes locked on something ahead. Everyone turned to see a poster with a middle-aged man holding a drink in his hand while giving a thumbs up with the other. "A parallel world and my dad's still alive."

Zana's eyes widened as she looked between the poster and Rose. The resemblance was there, definitely. "Oh my god..."

"Don't look at it, Rose. Don't even think about it. This is not your world," the Doctor warned instantly.

"But he's my dad and," she stepped forward and pressed her fingers against the advert, which suddenly exclaimed Trust me on this. "Well, that's weird. But he's real."

"Trust me on this," the poster repeated. Zana rested a hand on Rose's arm, trying to comfort her. This had to be big for her friend, seeing that her dad was alive and well here in an alternate reality. But at the same time, it wasn't him. And she wasn't too sure Rose comprehended that.

"He's a success," Rose smiled proudly at the moving advert. "He was always planning these daft little schemes. Health food, drinks, and stuff. Everyone said they were useless. But he did it."

The Doctor stepped in front of her, resting his hands on her shoulders. "Rose, if you've ever trusted me, then listen to me now." Rose sighed and glanced back at the poster. "Stop looking at it! Your father's dead! He died when you were six months old. That is not your Pete. That is a Pete. For all we know, he's got his own Jackie, his own Rose. His own daughter who is someone else, but not you! You can't see him. Not ever."

Zana gave Rose a sad smile, something she had been doing a lot since she had become a resident of the TARDIS, and squeezed her hand. "Hey, Rose, let's go walk around, you know, to get your mind off things." Rose nodded and absently walked off in the opposite direction of the TARDIS, while Zana turned to the Doctor and Mickey. "I'll watch her. I'll bring her back to the TARDIS in awhile."

The Doctor sighed, "Alright. Don't take your eyes off her."

"Yes sir," she gave him a mock salute before turning and taking off in the direction Rose had went. It didn't take long for her to catch up with the blonde, who was sitting on a bench along the Thames. She sat down beside her and clasped her hands together, watching the water below them. She wasn't sure what to say to her. It's not every day that you stumble into a parallel universe where your dead father is suddenly alive and very successful, after all. "I wonder if there's a parallel me out there. Can you imagine that? Two Zanas?" Rose cracked a smile, not taking her eyes off the Zeppelins flying overhead. Before Zana could continue, Rose's phone beeped. The two looked down to see that Rose had gotten a message from Cybus Network, whatever the hell that was.

"And it's good news for Great Britain as John Lumic returns to the country of his birth. Mister Lumic, the inventor of high content metal, has denied allegations of ill health," a news anchor suddenly appeared on the phone screen.

"We're all flesh and blood, but the brain is what makes us human. And my mind is more creative than ever," it cut to a shot of who Zana was assuming was John Lumic, before cutting back to the anchor.

"With shares in Cybus Industries doubling in price, Mister Lumic is..." Zana sighed and shook her head when the engines of the Zeppelins drowned out the reporter's voice. "In other news, the Torchwood Institute published a study claiming that-"

Before he could say any more, Rose shut it off.

"Oi," Zana frowned. "I was listening to that."

"Sorry," Rose apologized absently. "I've got to see something."

Zana watched as she typed Pete Tyler into the search bar and let out a sigh. "Rose, that's going to do nothing but make things worse. You know that."

"I know...I know, but I have to know," Rose replied.

Zana shook her head and leaned back on the bench, watching as her friend read an article over Pete Tyler. She wished she knew what to bloody do.

"Zana? Zana, is that you?" A very familiar voice called out, making Zana turn around, eyes wide.

"Oh my god..." Zana breathed. She couldn't believe it.

"Zana? What's going on?" Rose frowned, having looked up from her phone. "Who's that?"

"That would be my...well, technically not, but in simple terms, that's my mum," Zana informed quietly. "Her name's Cynthia...How is that...well, obviously it's possible, but I didn't expect for it to-"

"Zana! Where have you been?!" Cynthia had pulled Zana up from her spot on the bench by her arm, making Zana wince from the grip. Her mother always was a strong one, which was odd. Wasn't like she did much at H.C Clements.

"I've...what? What do you mean, where have I been? Have I been gone?"

"For months!"

"Really?"

"Don't act stupid."

"I'm not," Zana defended.

"Then tell me where you've been! I've searched long and wide, and so's your dad!"

"Huh..." Zana knew that wherever this reality's version of Zana was, she obviously didn't want to be found. Her father had great connections, and she wouldn't doubt it if her mother did as well. But maybe things were different here...

"Come on, you're coming home," Cynthia started pulling her forward.

"Look, I can't," Zana tried, but she wasn't having any of that. "Mum, I really can't. You don't understand-"

"Zana," she gave her a look. "Cut it out."

Zana turned to Rose, who was looking on with a mix of confusion and amusement.

"Are you gonna help?" Zana called back anxiously. "Rose!"

"What am I suppose to do?" Rose stifled a laugh.

"Wha- Are you laughing? Rose!"

"Zana, quiet!" Cynthia shushed.

"Don't worry, Zana. I'll get the Doctor," Rose assured, leaving Zana to do nothing but huff.

~*~*~*~*~

"Zana Marie Kline, I couldn't be more disappointed in you," Zana's 'father', Carlisle, was scolding her as she sat at the dining room table with her mother watching her, arms crossed, with a look of disappointment on her face as well.

"I don't even know what I did wrong," Zana repeated for the hundredth time, the annoyance very evident in her voice. She couldn't help it! She doesn't even know these people! Sure, they were a version of her parents, but they weren't them, she knew that. But try convincing them that.

"You vanished! You just disappeared in the dead of the night!"

"Are you sure I'm not in my room? I don't really leave my room much, you know that."

Carlisle gave her a look, "Zana, I'd know if my own daughter was in her room."

"What's in your ears?" Zana asked suddenly, having noticed the silver ear pods almost as soon as she saw them. She just figured it was a Bluetooth or something along that line, but she noticed the Cybus Industries logo on the side, the same logo she had seen in the video on Rose's phone.

"Don't start that again," Carlisle groaned in annoyance. "Zana, those Preachers or whatever you've gotten yourself into is anything but good."

"They're taking my baby girl from me!" Cynthia exclaimed, making Zana wince in surprise.

"Preachers? What do you mean?" Zana muttered, confused. "I've never really been the religious type."

"Don't be stupid."

She sighed and shook her head, "Look, mum, dad, I'm sorry for whatever you think I've done. But I honestly do not know what the hell you're talking about."

Carlisle studied her for a moment, "You really don't know, do you?"

"No, I really don't. Dad, look, I know that this is going to be hard to understand, but-"

Before she could explain, his phone went off, something that she was very used to. In his line of work, he could be called in at any time. That was if he wasn't already there.

"Sir," he answered in that professional tone that always made Zana uneasy. Every kid hated their parents' more conservative side. She could make out a man's voice on the other side, but it was unfamiliar. Usually, she knew who her father was speaking to. "Ah, Mr. Tyler."

"Mr. Tyler?" Zana frowned.

"Of course we'll be there tonight. Oh yes, my daughter will be accompanying us," he informed.

"Accompanying you where?" She asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Jackie Tyler's birthday party," Cynthia told her as she sat a cup of tea in front of her.

"Jackie Tyler? Is he speaking to Pete Tyler?" Zana's eyes widened, taking a sip of her tea before spitting it out. "What the hell is that?"

Cynthia frowned, "Watch your tone."

"What is this, mum? This isn't tea."

"Yes, it is. What else would it be?"

"I don't know," she pushed the cup away from her and wiped her mouth with her shirt. "Ugh, that was horrible. Not enough for sugar, that's for sure."

"You don't like sugar," her mother gave her a strange look.

"What sort of normal human being doesn't like sugar?" Zana scoffed, "Man, parallel me must be a thrill."

"What was that?"

"Nothing, mum."

"Right."

Zana sighed as her father hung up the phone and turned to her and Cynthia, "We had better be getting ready. The party's an hour or so from now."

"Do I have to go?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

"Because I said so," Carlisle gave her a stern look. "And it's going to be a long time before you're out of my sight, young lady."

"I don't even- ugh. You know what? I give up."

Zana got up from her spot and walked up the stairs, up to the parallel version of herself's room. Everything seemed pretty much the same to her room back home, with a few noticeable differences, but that was it. She stepped towards her desk and glanced over the clutter that covered it. Essays, books, pencils, notes, you name it. A small smile graced her lips when she saw a small present on the side of her desk, identical to the one that sent her out on Christmas Eve. She picked it up and carefully pulled at the blue bow, untying it.

"Zana?" Cynthia's voice, along with a knock on the door made her look up. "Start getting ready. There's a dress in your closet. The only dress you own, really. Wear that."

"Got it, mum," she replied quickly, sitting the box back down on the desk.

~*~*~*~*~

"You know why I don't wear dresses, mum?" Zana asked as Cynthia fixed her hair. "Because the dress is never enough. You always insist that my hair and makeup have to be done as well."

"You're eighteen years old, Zana. You need to represent yourself well. Your mind isn't the only factor that gets you into a good school."

"That's rubbish."

"That's life. Trust me, I don't understand it either," Cynthia gave her a small smile through the mirror before resting her hands on Zana's shoulders. "There. All done."

"Thanks, mum," Zana stood up and looked at herself in the mirror. She wasn't all that surprised when she had found the same exact (well, almost exact) dress she had at home stashed away in the closet, but this one was a dark, forest green, unlike the unpleasant maroon color her mum had picked out for her. The sleeves were shorter than hers, ending just below her elbows instead of at her wrists, and the overall length of the dress was shorter as well, but luckily it wasn't short enough to bother her. She had to admit, the dress was rather lovely, but she was sure it would be better for someone else. The makeup was as natural as makeup can get, must to her mother's dismay. Zana didn't necessarily dislike makeup, but under the circumstances, she didn't want to be too showy. She was going to her friend's parallel mum's birthday party, where her parallel dad, who wasn't dead, will be as well. With that being said, she didn't want to do anything over the top with her hair, so she just had her braid her bangs back. Again, her mother wasn't too thrilled about that, either.

"How is it?" Cynthia asked.

She plucked at a loose string on her left sleeve, "It's great, mum. So, how do we know the Tylers again?"

She gave Zana a strange look, "Your father and Pete have been friends for as long as they could speak."

"What?"

She sighed, "What did those people do to you?"

"Those Preachers, yeah? I still don't know who the hell they are."

Cynthia just shook her head and left the room, leaving Zana no choice but to follow her.

"This is gonna be an exciting night," Zana muttered.

~*~*~*~*~

Zana stepped out of the car and looked at all the other arriving guests. She didn't recognize one person, and she wasn't sure how she felt about that. She half expected to see the Doctor, Rose, and Mickey strolling towards the front entrance, pretending to be another extravagant guest. After all, she knew that the Doctor would give into Rose and let her meet Pete. He was wrapped around her finger.

"Come on, Zana," Carlisle held out an elbow for her, which she really had no choice but to accept. Cynthia walked not too far ahead of them, greeting the other guests as they stepped into the house.

"It's so crowded," Zana complained as her Carlisle and Cynthia started mingling with the other guests. She squeezed through people to make it to an empty chair towards the back of the room, which luckily wasn't occupied by very many people. She sat down and watched all the guests, unsure of what to do. She hated social things like this. She felt out of place. Back home, her parents had finally figured that out, so she wasn't forced to attend as many as these things as she used to, but in her opinion, it was still way too many for her. She understood why they made her do it, though. A lot of people her dad and mum worked with had very good connections, and they thought that if Zana showed up, well put together and a head full of things to say, she would get on well with them, and that would better her chances of getting into a good school. A really good school.

"...We could've been guests. Celebrities. Sir Doctor, Dame Rose. We end up serving. Did enough of this back home," a very distinct voice made her look up to see two of the people she had waiting for, dressed as butlers. The Doctor was carrying a tray of champagne, while Rose was carrying a tray of nibbles, as Zana's mum had always called them. Zana smiled and got up, grabbing a drink off of the Doctor's tray, but he didn't bother looking around.

"If you want to know what's going on, work in the kitchens," the Doctor was saying to Rose. "According to Lucy, that man over there-"

"Who's Lucy?" Rose raised an eyebrow.

The Doctor glanced at a woman, who must've been the woman in favor, "She's carrying the salmon pinwheels."

"Oh, that's Lucy, is it?" Zana bit back a laugh at Rose's tone. They still hadn't noticed her.

"Yeah. Lucy says, that is the President of Great Britain."

"What, there's a President, not a Prime Minister?"

"Seems so."

"Or maybe Lucy's just a bit thick," Zana spoke up, taking a sip of the champagne. The two of them instantly turned to see the brunette smiling cheekily at them. "About time you noticed me."

"Zana!" Rose smiled. "Good to see you're okay."

"Good to see that you were looking for me," Zana replied, having realized that they weren't even trying to find her.

Rose's smile fell, making Zana sigh.

"What are you wearing?" the Doctor's eyes trailed over her, making her turn attention towards him.

"I could ask the same of you."

"Excuse me! Thank you very much," Pete Tyler's voice interrupted them, making them turn to see him standing on the staircase, looking down at everyone. "Thank you if I could just have your attention, please?"

"Pete! Go on, Pete!" A man shouted, making everyone laugh.

"Thank you very much!"

"It's about time you did some work."

"I thought you liked them young," a different man shouted, making Zana roll her eyes.

"Um, I'd just like to say thank you to you all, for coming on this, this very special occasion. My wife's thirty-ninth."

"Don't believe that one."

Pete gave a thumbs up, similar to the advert Zana had seen earlier, "Trust me on this. And so, without any further ado, here she is, the birthday girl. My lovely wife, Jackie Tyler."

Applause rang out as Jackie, who was clad in a skin-tight black dress, made her way down the stairs. "Now, I'm not giving a speech. That's what my parties are famous for. No work, no politics, just a few good mates and plenty of black market whisky." That earned a laugh from everyone. "Pardon me, Mister President. So, yeah, get on with it. Enjoy, enjoy."

"You can't stay. Even if there was some way of telling them," Zana turned to see the Doctor telling Rose, who was watching the Tylers intently.

"Course I can't. I've still got Mum at home. My real mum. I couldn't just leave her, could I? It's just, they've got each other. Mum's got no one..." Rose's voice went soft.

"She's got you. Those two haven't. All these different worlds, not one of them gets it right," the Doctor muttered.

"Rose! There's my little girl! Come to mummy, come to mummy!" Jackie's voice made the, turn to see her pick up a little Yorkie, "Yes, good girl! Good girl, aren't you?

The Doctor and Zana both looked at Rose before bursting out laughing, which earned them a glare. "Sorry."

~*~*~*~*~

"Who are your parents, Zana?" the Doctor asked as the two of them walked down an empty hallway, looking for a computer of some sort.

"Cynthia and Carlisle Kline," she informed, crossing her arms. "Why?"

"Just curious. You never said."

"Yeah. Well, thanks for looking for me. I appreciate it, by the way."

He glanced back at her, "Sorry."

"No, you're not."

"I really am. I was...preoccupied."

"Yes, I know. Watching Rose is a full-time job."

He stopped walking and turned to look at her, "Don't."

"And where the hell is Mickey?" She asked, seeing that he was annoyed with her. She didn't care. Don't get her wrong, Rose meant a lot to her too, but there are other people he should be concerned about.

"I...I'm not sure."

"What the hell is wrong with you, Doctor?" She glared at him.

"I couldn't run after both of them!"

"That's all Mickey wants, you know, is for someone to show him that they care."

He gave a frustrated huff, "Why aren't you doing it, then?"

"I am! But what does that mean coming from someone like me? Nothing, compared to it coming from someone like you. Or even from Rose. He adores Rose, Doctor."

The Doctor muttered something under his breath before pushing a door open and stepping inside. Zana let out an annoyed groan before following after him, closing the door behind her. She watched as he pulled a pair of glasses from his pocket and slid them on before going to work on the laptop. She watched him work, and for some odd reason, she felt all of her anger and annoyance towards him fade. She had to look at things from his perspective. Her father was always telling her to look at things through the eyes of another before judging them, but she couldn't help it sometimes.

"Ah, here we go," the Doctor's voice brought her from her thoughts.

"Find something?" Zana moved forward, standing next to the Time Lord as she looked over the computer screen.

"I think so," he nodded before clicking on the video. Zana recognized the voice as John Lumics instantly.

"The most precious thing on this Earth is the human brain, and yet we allow it to die," the video was saying. "But now Cybus Industries has perfected a way of sustaining the brain indefinitely within a cradle of copyrighted chemicals. And the latest advances in synapse research allows cyber kinetic impulses to be bonded onto a metal exoskeleton. This is the ultimate upgrade. Our greatest step into cyberspace-"

"Oh my god..." Zana gasped.

"Cybers," the Doctor breathed before grabbing Zana's hand and rushing out the door.

"Cybers? What?" She asked as they rushed past all the guests. "Doctor?"

He didn't reply, instead pulling her towards the window, joining Rose. Zana let go of his hand and squinted her eyes, trying to get a better look at the things marching towards the house, but the bright light shining their way was making that a bit difficult.

"It's happening again..." the Doctor breathed, his breath condensing on the window in front of him.

"What do you mean?" Rose looked at him worriedly.

"I've seen them before."

"What are they?"

"Cybermen," he informed solemnly.

As the words left his mouth, the Cybermen crashed through the windows on the other side of the room, making the three of them turn around. The metal men surrounded everyone, forcing all the guests into a group. Zana felt someone grab her arm, and turned to see her parents pulling them towards her, away from the Doctor and Rose. Before she could protest, a phone rang, followed by the president answering with, "Mr. Lumic."

"Mum, Dad, let me go. I have to get back to the Doctor," Zana yanked her arm away, leaving her parents to follow her back towards her friends.

"I forbade this," the president was saying.

"What are they, robots?" Rose whispered to the Doctor.

"Worse than that," he informed.

"Who were these people?" The president demanded of John Lumic, whose voice couldn't be heard by the other guests.

Rose frowned, "They're people?"

"They were until they had all their humanity taken away. That's a living brain jammed inside a cybernetic body, with a heart of steel. All emotions removed," the Doctor's voice was cold as he explained it to her and Zana.

"Why no emotions?" Zana asked softly.

He looked down at her sadly, "Because it hurts."

"I demand to know, Lumic. These people, who were they?" The president's voice boomed.

Everyone watched him eagerly as he listened to Mr. Lumic's response, but much to their dismay, nothing else was said. That was until the metallic voice of the Cybermen filled the air. Zana reached down and gripped the Doctor's hand, fear filling her. These creatures were humans once...now they were nothing but a brain in a metal suit.

"We have been upgraded."

"Into what?" The Doctor demanded, lacing his fingers together with Zana's, knowing that she was afraid.

"The next level of mankind. We are Human point two. Every citizen will receive a free upgrade. You will become like us."

The president stepped forward, looking at all the Cybermen in the room, "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry for what's been done to you but listen to me. This experiment ends tonight."

"Upgrading is compulsory."

"And if I refuse?"

"Don't," the Doctor warned sternly.

The president ignored him, "What if I refuse?"

"I'm telling you, don't!"

"What happens if I refuse?"

"Then you are not compatible."

"What happens then?"

"You will be deleted."

Screams filled the air as one of the Cybermen gripped the president's shoulder, electrocuting him the in process. The Doctor pulled Zana away from the group of hysterical people, making sure Rose followed close behind. Pete was calling out for Jackie, but he was barely heard over the screams of the people who the Cybermen got their hands on. The Doctor, Rose, and Zana jumped through the broken window, but that's when all sense came back to Zana. She let go of the Doctor's hand and tried to rush back inside, but the Doctor was quick to grab her.

"There's nothing we can do!" He exclaimed.

"My parents are in there!" She shouted.

"And so's my mum!" Rose added.

"They're not your parents! Come on!" He grabbed Rose's hand and pulled her away, leaving Zana to follow. A line of Cybermen blocked the three of them from running across the lawn, so they turned and rushed towards the other side of the house. Much to Rose's shock, Pete came through a broken window, just as they had.

"Quick! Quick!" Rose shouted to him, making him follow them.

"Pete, is there a way out?" The Doctor asked quickly.

"The side gates. Who are you? How do you know so much? Zana, who is this?" Pete questioned her, making her frown in confusion before remembering what her mother had told her earlier.

"You wouldn't believe it in a million years," the Doctor told him just as more Cybermen cut them off. Zana moved closer to the Doctor, dread filling her as two people rushed towards the group.

"Who's that?" Rose frowned

"Get behind me!" Mickey, along with another man, stepped in front of them and opened fire on the Cybermen. It didn't really surprise Zana when the bullets just bounced off, but it still made the Cybermen stop in their tracks.

"Oh my God, look at you!" Rose pulled Mickey into a hug. "I thought I'd never see you again!"

"Yeah. No offense, sweetheart, but who the hell are you?" Mickey informed, making Zana frown.

"Rose!" A different Mickey rushed forward. "That's not me. That's like the other one."

"Oh, as if things weren't bad enough, there's two Mickey's," the Doctor muttered, making Zana roll her eyes.

"It's Ricky," he informed, glancing over at Zana. "You must be parallel Zana, then."

"It would seem that way," she nodded, holding a hand, but he ignored it.

"But there's more of them," Mickey informed, bringing her attention back to him.

"We're surrounded," Rose shook her head.

"Put the guns down. Bullets won't stop them," the Doctor told them, but the blonde man that was with Ricky and Mickey opened fire once more. "No! Stop shooting, now. We surrender! Hands up. There's no need to damage us. We're good stock. We volunteer for the upgrade program. Take us to be processed."

"You are rogue elements," the Cyberman's voice made Zana shudder. Mickey stepped closer to her, which she was grateful for. She was so glad he was okay. He stepped in front of her, standing in the way of the Cybermen.

"But we surrender," the Doctor frowned at the Cyberman's words.

"You are incompatible."

"But this is a surrender!"

"You will be deleted."

"But we're surrendering! Listen to me, we surrender!"

"You are inferior. Man will be reborn as Cyberman, but you will perish under maximum deletion," Zana gasped as the Cybermen marched towards them, arms outreached. "Delete. Delete. Delete!"

~*~*~*~*~

A/N: Ooops. I was supposed to have this done last weekend...sorry...


	10. The Age of Steel

Zana squeezed her eyes shut and hid her face behind the Doctor's shoulder, waiting for the inevitable...but it never came. She took a few deep breaths before looking up just in time to see the Doctor pointing some sort of device at the Cybermen, who stepped backwards before disappearing in a golden light.

"What the hell was that?" Both Ricky and Zana asked in unison, making them look at each other.

"We'll have that instead. Run!" The Doctor took off, everyone following after him.

They didn't get very far before a van sped into the driveway and a blonde woman waved everyone towards it, "Everybody, in!"

Ricky, Mickey, their friend, and the Doctor ran towards it, but Pete, Rose, and Zana stood still.

"I've got to go back. My wife's in there," Pete took off back towards the house, but the Doctor grabbed his arm.

"Anyone inside that house is dead. If you want to help, then don't let her die for nothing. You've got to come with us right now," he told Pete, who reluctantly nodded and rushed into the van.

"Come on! Get a move on!" The blonde woman who was driving the van shouted.

"Rose, she's not your mother," the Doctor told her softly.

"I know..."

"Zana, those weren't your parents, you know that."

"I know. But they were someone's parents. And now they're dead..." Zana's voice broke.

He gave her a sad look and took her hand, "Come on."

Zana took a few quick breaths, trying to ignore the stinging of her eyes as everyone piled into the van.

"Finished chatting? Never seen a slower getaway in my life!" The blonde woman shouted as she drove off.

Zana sighed and shook her head before looking up. A gasp escaped her lips at the sight before her. Looking back at her was well...her. "Oh my god."

"Are my parents dead?" Parallel Zana asked her, trying to hide the break in her voice.

"I'm sorry..." Zana informed softly. "Zana-"

"You're wearing my dress," she changed the topic instantly.

"Oh..." Zana looked down at herself. "Right. Sorry, they sort of-"

"Yeah, I know what they were like."

"Never mind that," Ricky spoke up. "What was that thing?"

"Little bit of technology from my home," the Doctor informed, holding it in his hand.

"It's stopped glowing. Has it run out?" Mickey frowned.

"It's on a revitalizing loop. It'll charge back up in about four hours."

"Right. So, we don't have a weapon anymore," Rickey huffed.

"Yeah, we've got weapons," Jake informed. "Might not be one of those metal things, but they're good enough for men like him."

Zana frowned, seeing that he was staring at Pete.

"Leave him alone," Rose shot a glare his way. "What's he done wrong?"

"Oh, you know, just laid a trap that's wiped out the Government and left Lumic in charge!"

"If I was part of all that, do you think I'd leave my wife inside?" Pete gave him a look.

"Maybe your plan went wrong," Parallel Zana spoke up. "Still gives us the right to execute you, though."

"Talk about executions, you'll make me your enemy," the Doctor glared at her. "And take some really good advice. You don't want to do that."

Parallel Zana rolled her eyes, "All the same, we have evidence that says Pete Tyler's been working for Lumic since twenty point five."

Rose glanced at Pete, not really believing what she was being told, "Is that true?"

"Tell them, Mrs. M."

"We've got a government mole who feeds us information," the blonde woman driving informed. "Lumic's private files, his South American operations, the lot. Secret broadcasts twice a week."

"Broadcast from Gemini?" Pete raised an eyebrow.

"And how do you know that?" Parallel Zana studied him.

"I'm Gemini. That's me!"

"Yeah, well you would say that."

"Encrypted wavelength six five seven using binary nine. That's the only reason I was working for Lumic. To get information. I thought I was broadcasting to the Security Services! What do I get? Scooby-Doo and his gang. They've even got the van!"

"No, no, no. But the Preachers know what they're doing," Mickey told the group. "Ricky said he's London's Most Wanted."

"Yeah, that's not exactly..."

"Not exactly what?"

"He's London's Most Wanted for parking tickets," Parallel Zana rolled her eyes and nudged Ricky.

Pete huffed, "Great."

"Yeah, they were deliberate. I was fighting the system! Park anywhere, that's me!" Ricky tried to defend himself, making both Zanas laugh. 

"Good policy. I do much the same," the Doctor smiled at him. "I'm the Doctor, by the way, if anyone's interested."

"I'm Zana," she informed. "But I have a feeling you already knew that."

"And I'm Rose. Hello."

"Even better. That's the name of my dog. Still, at least I've got the catering staff on my side."

"I knew you weren't a traitor," Rose told him softly.

"Why is that, then?"

"I just did."

"They took my wife."

"She might still be alive," Rose said encouragingly.

"That's even worse. Because that's what Lumic does. He takes the living and he turns them into those machines."

"Cybermen," the Doctor told them. "They're called Cybermen. And I'd take those ear pods off, if I were you. You never know. Lumic could be listening." Pete pulled out his ear pods and handed them to the Doctor, who flashed them with the sonic screwdriver. "But he's overreached himself. He's still just a businessman. He's assassinated the President. All we need to do is get to the city and inform the authorities. Because I promise you, this ends tonight."

Everyone fell into an uncomfortable silence just as the van screeched to a halt.

"Oh my god..." Parallel Zana stepped out of the van, and everyone followed suit.

"What the hell?" Jake breathed.

"What the hell is going on?" Zana asked the Doctor, watching as people roamed around the streets as if they were sleepwalking. They almost seemed like zombies, and that irked her.

"It's the ear-pods. Lumic's taken control," the Doctor informed, making her gulp.

"Can't we just, I don't know, take them off?" Rose stepped forward to one of the wandering men and tried to pull his ear pods from his ears, but the Doctor pulled her hands away.

"Don't! Cause a brainstorm. Human race. For such an intelligent lot, you aren't half susceptible," the Doctor ranted as they followed the lifeless people. "Give anyone a chance to take control and you submit. Sometimes I think you like it. Easy life."

"Hey, Come and see," Jake interrupted, pulling their attention towards him and Rickey, who was crouched down behind a wall. Everyone hurried over to them to see even more people, lining up next to a group of Cybermen.

"Where are they all going?" Zana whispered, balling her hands into fists. She hated how those damn Cybermen affected her.

"I don't know. Lumic must have a base of operations."

"Battersea. That's where he was building his prototypes," Pete informed.

Rose frowned, "Why's he doing it?"

"He's dying. This all started out as a way of prolonging life, of keeping the brain alive at any cost."

Rose looked back at the Doctor, "The thing is, I've seen Cybermen before, haven't I? The head. Those handle shapes in Van Statten's museum."

"Ah, there are Cybermen in our universe. They started on an ordinary world just like this, then swarmed across the galaxy," the Doctor nodded. "This lot are a parallel version, and they're starting from scratch right here on Earth."

"What the hell are you two on about?" Pete gave the two of them a confused look.

"Never mind that," Parallel Zana spoke up. "Come on, we need to get out of the city. Okay, split up. Mrs. Moore, you look after that bloke. Jake, distract them. Go right, Ricky, and I'll go left. We'll meet back at Bridge Street. Move."

"I'm going with him," Mickey told them, leaving a quick kiss on Rose's lips before running off after Rickey and Parallel Zana. Zana went to protest, but the Doctor yanked on her hand, pulling her forward as the rest of the group started to run.

"Come on, let's go," Mrs. Moore exclaimed, Cybermen trailing close behind them, but also right in front of them.

"There!" The Doctor shouted, taking off down an alley, pulling Zana along with him. She let out a yelp when the Doctor nearly pulled her to the ground. He quickly shushed her, along with the others as all of them ducked down behind some rubbish bins. Zana glanced over to see Rose grab Pete's hand and couldn't help the small smile that formed on her lips, despite the fact that there were Cybermen just feet away. "Go," the Doctor whispered as the close was clear, and everyone took off, following the Time Lord.

~*~*~*~*~

"I ran past the river. You should have seen it. The whole city's on the march. Hundreds of Cybermen all down the Thames," Jake was telling the others as they met up again. Zana was anxiously looking around for Mickey and the other two, but dread filled her when only one of them started rushing towards them, and she wasn't too sure which one it was. "Here he is! Which one are you?"

"I'm sorry. The Cybermen. They couldn't..." Their voice broke.

"Are you Ricky?" Jake asked, almost pleadingly. "Are you Ricky? And where's Zana? Where is she?"

"Mickey, that has to be you," Zana said hopefully. "Right?"

He gulped, "Yeah."

She jumped forward and wrapped her arms around hid neck, pulling him into a tight hug.

"They tried. They were running. There were too many of them," Mickey tried to explain to Jake as Zana finally released him.

"Shut it," Jake snapped.

"There was nothing I could do."

"I said just shut it. Don't even talk about him. You're nothing, you are. Nothing!"

"Hey-" Zana went to snap back at him, but the Doctor spoke over her.

"We can mourn him when London is safe. But now, we move on," the Doctor looked between the two of them before turning to Pete. "Lead the way."

~*~*~*~*~

When they arrived at Battersea Power Station, Zana had to fight the urge to sit down on the grass and never get up again. She wasn't as used to the running as all the others were, unfortunately, and she doubted that she ever will. After all, it was never her strong suit.

"The whole of London's been sealed off, and the entire population's been taken inside that place. To be converted..." the Doctor broke the silence that had been lingering over the group as they all looked over at the large building.

"We've got to get in there and shut it down," Rose spoke up.

Mickey raised an eyebrow, "How do we do that?"

"Oh, I'll think of something," the Doctor waved him off.

"You're just making this up as you go along."

"Yep," he nodded. "But I do it brilliantly."

Zana gave up and sat down on the ground while Mrs. Moore pulled out her laptop, "That's a schematic of the old factory. Look. Cooling tunnels underneath the plant. Big enough to walk through."

"We go under there and up into the control center?" The Doctor asked.

"Mmm."

"There's another way in," Pete spoke up. "Through the front door. If they've taken Jackie for upgrading, that's how she'll get in."

Jake scoffed, "We can't just go strolling up."

"Or we could, with these," Mrs. Moore pulled two sets of fake ear pods out of her bag. "Fake ear pods. Dead. No signal. But put them on, the Cybermen would mistake you for one of the crowd."

Pete nodded, "Then that's my job."

"You'd have to show no emotion. None at all. Any sign of emotion would give you away," the Doctor warned him.

Rose looked at Mrs. Moore, "How many of those you got?"

"Just two sets."

"Okay. If that's the best way of finding Jackie, then I'm coming with you," Rose grabbed the other set from Mrs. Moore, looking up at Pete.

Peter looked over her, "Why does she matter to you?"

"We haven't got time," Rose waved him off. "Doctor, I'm going with him, and that's that."

The Doctor smiled softly, "No stopping you, is there?"

"No."

"Tell you what. We can take the ear pods at the same time. Give people their minds back so they don't walk into that place like sheep. Jakey-boy? Lumic's transmitting the control signal. It must be from over there," he aimed his sonic screwdriver towards the power stations. Zana squinted, trying to see the building a tad better. She made out the shape of a Zeppelin parked above the building, a circle of red light at the end of it. Times like this she could really use her glasses. "There it is. On the zeppelin, you see? Great big transmitter. Good thing Lumic likes showing off. Reckon you could take it out?"

Jake nodded, "Consider it done."

The Doctor turned to the older blonde woman, "Mrs. Moore, would you care to accompany me and my friend Zana into the cooling tunnels?"

"How could I refuse an offer of cooling tunnels?" Mrs. Moore replied cheekily.

"We attack on three sides. Above, between, below," the Doctor told the whole group. "We get to the control center, we stop the conversion machines."

"What about me?" Mickey spoke up, making everyone look at him.

"Mickey..." The Doctor cleared his throat, having obviously forgotten that he was there. "You can um-"

"What, stay out of trouble? Be the tin dog? No, those days are over. I'm going with Jake," Mickey informed.

"I don't need you, idiot," Jake spat.

"I'm not an idiot!" Mickey exclaimed loudly, making Zana smile. "You got that? I'm offering to help."

Jake huffed, "Whatever."

Just as Mickey and Jake started to walk away, the Doctor called his name. "Mickey. Good luck."

"Yeah, you too," Mickey nodded. "Rose, Zana, I'll see you later."

"Yeah, you'd better," Rose nodded.

"Good luck, Mickey," Zana smiled reassuringly.

"If we survive this, I'll see you back at the TARDIS," the Doctor called to him.

"That's a promise," Mickey smiled before walking off.

The Doctor turned to Rose and pulled her into a hug, "Good luck."

"And you," Rose nodded as she pulled away. "Watch after him, Zana."

"Of course. Be careful, Rose," Zana gave her a quick hug before watching her and Pete walk off, towards the power. She turned back to the Doctor and Mrs. Moore and gave them a cheeky smile. "And then there were three."

~*~*~*~*~

Zana followed close behind the Doctor and Mrs. Moore, her arms wrapped around herself as the cold air surrounded her. Normally she'd have no problem with the cold air, but normally she wasn't wearing a dress. She couldn't believe she left her jacket in the TARDIS.

"Okay, Zana?" The Doctor asked as he crouched down, using his sonic screwdriver on the latch of the door to the tunnel.

"Just fine," she nodded as he managed to get the door open, allowing Mrs. Moore to go down.

"You're cold."

"Well, it's cold out here." He glanced at her a moment before moving to take off his suit jacket, but Zana stopped him. "Don't worry about it, Doctor. Keep your jacket, I'll be okay. Really. Plus...never mind."

"What?" He raised an eyebrow as she moved to step down the letter, into the tunnels.

"Nothing," she muttered as she climbed down, jumping off at the last step. She watched the Doctor climb down and sighed, pulling her arms closer. It was colder down here.

"It's freezing," Mrs. Moore commented.

"Any sign of a light switch?" The Doctor looked around as if he could see anything in the pitch black.

"Can't see a thing. But I've got these," Mrs. Moore pulled a couple of headbands, fitted with torches from her bag. "A device for every occasion."

"Oooh!" The Doctor grinned.

"Put it on," she chuckled. "Would you like the other one, Zana?"

"No, it's alright. I'll just stay close to the Doctor," Zana smiled at the woman as she slid the headband onto her head.

"Haven't got a hotdog in there, have you? I'm starving," the Doctor muttered.

"Of all the things to wish for," Mrs. Moore laughed, turning on the torch. "That's mechanically recovered meat."

"I know. It's the Cyberman of food, but it's tasty."

"Not really," Zana shook her head, earning a look from the Doctor.

"A proper torch as well," Mrs. Moore handed him the device.

"Let's see where we are," the Doctor stepped forward and turned it on. Zana gasped and jumped back as the light revealed that both sides of the corridor were lined with Cybermen. The Doctor reached behind him and took the fearful brunette's hand, giving it a slight squeeze. "Already converted, just put on ice. Come on."

Zana hit his shoulder when he poked at one of the Cybermen's faces, "Doctor, how did that seem like a good idea?"

He just gave her a small smile, "Let's go slowly. Keep an eye out for trip systems."

She took a deep breath as the three of them slowly made their way down the dark corridor. She kept a tight hold on the Time Lord's hand. It was almost like he was keeping the metal men at bay, and she feared that if she let go, things would turn bad very quickly.

"How did you get into this, then, rattling along with the Preachers?" The Doctor asked of Mrs. Moore, obviously trying to calm her nerves as well.

"Oh, I used to be ordinary. Worked at Cybus Industries, nine to five, till one day, I find something I'm not supposed to. A file on the mainframe. All I did was read it," Mrs. Moore shrugged, earning a small chuckle from Zana, "Then suddenly I've got men with guns knocking in the middle of the night. Life on the run. Then I found the Preachers. They needed a techie, so I, I just sat down and taught myself everything."

"What about Mr. Moore?" Zana asked, wanting, no, needing the distraction.

"Well, he's not called Moore. I got that from a book, Mrs. Moore. It's safer not to use real names. But he thinks I'm dead. It was the only way to keep him safe. Him and the kids. What about you, Doctor? Got any family, or?"

"Oh, who needs family?" The Doctor waved her off, making Zana frown and squeeze his hand. "I've got the whole world on my shoulders. Go on, then. What's your real name?"

Mrs. Moore chuckled, "Angela Price. Don't tell a soul."

"Not a word," the Doctor smiled.

Angela suddenly became very serious, "Doctor, did that one just move?"

"It's just the torchlight," the Doctor assured. "Keep going, come on." Just as the words left his mouth, the Cyberman in front of them moved its arm, making Zana cover her mouth to hold back a shout. "They're waking up. Run!"

The Doctor pulled Zana down the corridor as quickly as he could, the Cybermen waking up as they passed them. It didn't take long to reach the ladder at the end of the tunnel, but that didn't stop the Cybermen from marching their way. The Doctor released Zana's hand and hurried up the ladder, sonic in hand as he tried to open the door.

"Doctor! Doctor, hurry!" Zana exclaimed fearfully.

"Quick! They're coming! Open it! Open it!" Angela added, and seconds later the door opened. "Get up! Quick! Quick!"

The Doctor quickly climbed out, followed by Angela. "Come on! Come on!"

Zana hurried as fast as she could up the ladder, but between the nerves and the fact that the cold had made it almost impossible for her to feel her fingers, it shouldn't have been a shock when she lost her grip on the step above her. Luckily, the Doctor was quick to react, grabbing her hand and helping her up just as the Cybermen reached for her ankle. He slammed the door closed and soniced it shut as Zana laid back flat on the ground, too shocked to cry. She almost didn't make it. She almost died in a universe that wasn't even her own, and that terrified her, almost as much as those bloody Cybermen did.

"Oh, good team, Mrs. Moore," the Doctor smiled at her before turning to his companion. "Zana? Zan, come on, you're fine."

"Oh my god," Zana breathed, resting her hand on her forehead. "That was way to close..." The Doctor offered her a hand, which she accepted after a few moments, and helped her up. He gave her a soft smile, resting his hands on her shoulders for a moment before pulling her into a tight hug. She wrapped her arms around his neck instantly, holding him close. She felt her nerves slowly disappear as she closed her eyes, taking him in. He was the distraction she needed, and at that moment, she couldn't be more grateful. A few tears fell from her eyes as she pulled back from the embrace, but she couldn't be bothered with wiping them away, "Doctor..."

"There you go. See? Safe and sound," he smiled and wiped the tears away with his thumb. "You okay?"

"Not really," she admitted. "But I will be."

"I'm sorry," he apologized softly.

"Don't be. Wasn't your fault," she took a deep breath. "So...what now?"

~*~*~*~*~

The Doctor was sure to keep Zana close behind him as they wandered through the lower levels of the power station, and she was definitely okay with that. After what she had just been through, she'd be damned if she was left alone.

"You are not upgraded," the metallic voice of a Cyberman filled their ears, but Angela was quick to react.

"Yeah? Well, upgrade this!" She threw a small rod at the Cybermen. They watched as it stuck to its metal suit, successfully shutting it down in a show of sparks.

"What the hell was that thing?" The Doctor laughed in amazement.

"Electromagnetic bomb. Takes out computers, I figured it might stop the cyber-suit," Angela smiled.

"You figured right. Now, let's have a look. Know your enemy," the Doctor crouched down beside the Cyberman, using his sonic on the logo of the suit. "A logo on the front. Lumic's turned them into a brand," he pulled off the logo to reveal a mess of blue wires. "Heart of steel, but look..."

"Is that flesh?" Angela frowned at the mess of matter the Doctor had pulled from the machinery.

"Hmmm. Central nervous system. Artificially grown then threaded throughout the suit so it responds like a living thing. Well, it is a living thing. Oh, but look," he tapped on a small box inside the suit. "Emotional inhibitor. Stops them feeling anything."

"But why?" Zana asked, crouching down beside him and Angela.

"It's still got a human brain. Imagine its reaction if it could see itself, realize itself inside this thing. They'd go insane," he informed softly.

"So they take away the one thing that makes them human..."

"Because they have to."

"Why am I cold?" The metallic voice filled the air once more, but this time, it's tone was different, It sounded...scared.

"Oh, my God. It's alive. It can feel," Angela breathed.

"We broke the inhibitor. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry," the Doctor said sadly.

"Why so cold?" It repeated.

"Can you remember your name?" Zana asked quietly.

"Sally. Sally Phelan."

"You're a woman..."

"Where's Gareth?"

"Who's Gareth?" Angela asked.

"He can't see me. It's unlucky the night before."

"You're getting married," Zana realized, covering her mouth to hold back a sob. She couldn't believe this.

"I'm cold. I'm so cold."

"It's all right. You sleep now, Sally. Just go to sleep..." the Doctor pressed the screwdriver to the chest cavity, turning the suit off. Zana took the Doctor's hand, seeing that he needed comfort now. "Sally Phelan didn't die for nothing, because that's the key. The emotional inhibitor. If we could find the code behind it, the cancellation code, then feed it throughout the system into every Cyberman's head, they'd realize what they are."

"And what happens then?" Angela pondered.

"I think it would kill them. Could we do that?"

"We've got to. Before they kill everyone else. There's no choice, Doctor. It's got to be done," she moved to stand up, but as she did, she met the hand of a Cyberman. The Doctor stood up and pulled Zana behind him as they surrounded the two of them.

"No! No, you didn't have to kill her!" The Doctor exclaimed.

"Sensors detect a binary vascular system. You are an unknown upgrade. You will be taken for analysis."

The Doctor didn't argue and followed after the Cybermen with Zana right by his side. There was no way he was letting her go.

~*~*~*~*~

A/N: Well would you look at this, two chapters! Well, I hope you enjoy it. If you have anything you wanna see more of, go right ahead and tell me Things like Doctor/Zana moments or Zana/ Rose moments or even Zana/Mickey moments, I'd be happy to oblige. :)


	11. The Age of Steel Pt. 2

Rose and Pete Tyler were standing side by side in the main control room, surrounded by Cybermen when Zana Kline and the Doctor were escorted inside.

"We've been captured, but don't worry, Rose and Pete are still out there. They can rescue us," the Doctor said sarcastically as he pulled at the bow tie around his neck. "Oh well, never mind."

Zana immediately rushed towards her friend and pulled her into a tight hug, "Rose, are you okay?"

"Yeah," she nodded, returning the embrace. "But they got Jackie."

"We were too late," Pete struggled to say. "Lumic killed her."

The Doctor stepped back and looked around the room, "Then where is he, the famous Mr. Lumic? Don't we get the chance to meet our Lord and Master?"

"He has been upgraded," a Cyberman informed monotonously.

"So he's just like you?"

"He is superior. The Lumic Unit has been designated Cyber Controller."

Zana stepped back as a set of doors opened, revealing Mr. Lumic, in Cyberman form, sitting upon a throne of machinery, "This is The Age of Steel and I am its Creator."

Zana let out a breath of air when screams rang out, but the Doctor didn't seem bothered. He just grinned. "That's my friends at work. Good boys! Mister Lumic, I think that's a vote for free will!"

"I have factories waiting on seven continents. If the ear pods have failed, then the Cybermen will take humanity by force," Lumic informed. "London has fallen. So shall the world. I will bring peace to the world, everlasting peace. And unity and uniformity."

"And imagination? What about that?" The Doctor raised an eyebrow. "The one thing that led you here, imagination, you're killing it dead!"

"What is your name?"

"I'm the Doctor."

"A redundant title. Doctors need not exist. Cybermen never sicken."

"Yeah, but that's it. That's exactly the point! Oh, Lumic, you're a clever man. I'd call you a genius, except I'm in the room," Zana couldn't help the laugh that escaped her lips. "But everything you've invented, you did to fight your sickness. And that's brilliant. That is so human. But once you get rid of sickness and mortality, then what's there to strive for, eh? The Cybermen won't advance. You'll just stop. You'll stay like this forever. A metal Earth with metal men and metal thoughts, lacking the one thing that makes this planet so alive. People. Ordinary, stupid, brilliant people!"

"You are proud of your emotions?" Lumic asked of him.

"Oh, yes," he replied proudly.

"Then tell me, Doctor. Have you known grief, and rage, and pain?"

"Yes," he nodded. "Yes, I have."

"And they hurt?

"Oh, yes."

"I could set you free. Would you not want that? A life without pain?"

"You might as well kill me."

"Then I take that option."

"It's not yours to take!" The Doctor shouted angrily. "You're a Cyber Controller! You don't control me or anything with blood in its heart!"

"You have no means of stopping me. I have an army. A species of my own."

The Doctor just looked at him, exasperated. "You just don't get it, do you? An army's nothing. Because those ordinary people, they're the key. The most ordinary person could change the world." Zana watched as he glanced up at a security camera and it clicked in her head. She grinned as the Doctor wandered around the room, sending an occasional glance in the camera's direction. "Some ordinary man or woman, some idiot. All it takes is for him to find, say the right numbers. Say the right codes. Say, for example, the code behind the emotional inhibitor. The code right in front of him. Because even an idiot knows how to use computers these days. Knows how to get past firewalls and passwords. Knows how to find something encrypted in the Lumic Family Database, under er. What was it, Pete? Binary what?"

"Binary nine," Pete informed.

"An idiot could find that code. Cancellation code. And he'd keep on typing. Keep on fighting. Anything to save his friends."

"Your words are irrelevant," Lumic told him.

"Yeah, talk too much, that's my problem. Lucky I got you that cheap tariff, Rose, for all our long chats...on your phone."

"You will be deleted."

"Yes. Delete, control, hash. All those lovely buttons. Then, of course, my particular favorite, send!" The Doctor winked up at the camera. "And let's not forget how you seduced all those ordinary people in the first place." Rose pulled her phone out of her pocket as it beeped, signaling that the cancellation code had arrived. "By making every bit of technology compatible with everything else."

"It's for you," Rose tossed the phone to the Doctor.

"Like this," the Doctor pushed the phone into a docking station, and within seconds the Cybermen in the room started to scream and hold their heads in what Zana assumed was pain. She stepped closer to Rose as one by one they all fell to the ground, mimicking the ones all across London. The Doctor stepped up to one who was staring at its reflection, crying out in pain as it did so. "I'm sorry..."

"What have you done?" Lumic demanded.

"I gave them back their souls. They can see what you've done, Lumic, and it's killing them!"

With that, the Doctor, along with Zana, Rose, and Pete rushed out of Lumic's control room, down the corridor. Exploding Cybermen surrounded them, sending fire and debris nearly everywhere they tried to escape. Zana yanked open the emergency exit, but on the other side were even more distressing Cybermen.

"There's no way out!" The Doctor shouted over the chaos.

As if someone had heard him, Rose's phone rang. She hurried and answered it, relief flooding over her features. "It's Mickey! He says head for the roof!"

The Doctor nodded and took off up the stairwell, followed closely behind by the others. Zana yelped in surprise as a large fire broke out behind her, nearly catching the back of her dress on fire as well, but Pete pulled her forward just in time. She hastily thanked him as they made it onto the roof. Mr. Lumic's zeppelin was sitting there, in control of Mickey and Jake.

"Mickey, where'd you learn to fly that thing?" Zana heard Rose ask as they rushed towards it, making her chuckle.

"You've got to be kidding," Pete breathed as a rope ladder fell from the ship, and Zana completely agreed with him on that.

The Doctor ignored him, instead making sure Rose started climbing, "Rose, get up."

"Hold on tight, we're going up! Welcome to Mickey Smith's Airline. Please enjoy your flight. Woo!" Mickey's voice filled the air as Zana started climbing up the ladder, not too far from Pete.

"We did it! We did it!" Rose laughed as she gripped onto the ladder, the Doctor holding on tight beside her. Just as Zana started laughing with them, something heavy pulled at the ladder, nearly making her lose her grip. She looked down, her eyes widening at the side below her. Lumic was slowly, but surely making his way towards her, and he wasn't that far behind. Just as she started to panic, the Doctor called to her.

"Zana! Take this!" He dropped his sonic screwdriver down to her, and she was honestly surprised she had caught it. "Press it against the rope! Hurry!"

Zana pressed down on the screwdriver, the familiar buzzing filling her ears as she held it against the rope below her. "For every person you killed. Every son, every daughter, every brother, every sister, every parent, this is for them." She watched as the rope broke just as he reached to for her ankle, sending Lumic towards the exploding building below them with nothing but a metallic scream.

~*~*~*~*~

The Doctor was in a hurry to get back to his beloved ship, so even when Zana thought she had the chance to take a break from the running, she didn't. But she couldn't really say anything, she was just as excited to see if that power cell the Doctor had recovered would actually fix the TARDIS. Well, she was depending on it. She just wanted to be back in her own universe again.

"Please work, please work, please work..." she kept muttering as she stepped into the darkened console room, watching as the Doctor rushed to the console. He took a deep breath before wiring the device into the control panel, and seconds later the ship lit up. Zana laughed and rushed forward, surprising the Doctor as she pulled him into a hug. He laughed and moved to return the embrace, but she had already pulled away, missing the disappointed look that flashed across his face as she rushed back towards the doors, wanting to tell Rose the good news.

"Rose? Rose, it works!" She laughed before clearing her throat, seeing that she and Pete were in the middle of a conversation. "Sorry."

"I've only got five minutes of power. We've got to go," the Doctor added, having joined them outside.

Rose just turned back to Pete, "The Doctor could show you."

"Thank you," Pete just shook his head. "For everything."

"Dad..." Rose tried desperately.

"Don't...Just, just don't," Pete said softly before quickly walking off. Zana stepped forward and rested a comforting hand on her friend's shoulder, seeing the tears that were forming in her eyes.

"Here it is!" Mickey's voice filled their ears, making them look up to see him and Jake walking their way. "I found it. Not a crease."

"My suit!" The Doctor beamed as Mickey handed it to him. "Good man. Now then, Jake, we've got to run. But one more thing. Mrs. Moore...Her real name was Angela Price. She's got a husband out there, and children. Find them. Tell them how she died saving the world."

"Yeah, course I will," Jake assured with a smile.

"Off we go, then," the Doctor turned back to the TARDIS.

Mickey hesitated, "Thing is, I'm staying..."

The Doctor frowned, "You're going what?"

"Mickey, no..." Zana stepped towards him.

"It sort of balances out, because this world lost its Ricky, but there's me. And there's work to be done with all those Cybermen still out there," Mickey tried to reason with them.

"But you can't stay," Rose's voice broke.

"Rose, my gran's here. She's still alive. My old gran, remember her?"

"Yeah..."

"She needs me."

"What about me? What if I need you?"

"Yeah, but Rose, you don't. It's just you and him, isn't it," he said softly, but Zana could tell it pained him to say it. She couldn't wrap her head around it. Mickey was saying goodbye... "We had something a long time ago, but not anymore."

"Well, we'll come back. We can travel anywhere. Come and see you, yeah?" Rose said hopefully.

"We can't," the Doctor spoke up. "I told you, travel between parallel worlds is impossible. We only got here by accident. We, we fell through a crack in time. When we leave, I've got to close it. We can't ever return."

Mickey gulped and turned to him, "Doctor."

The Doctor shook his hand with a proud smile, "Take Rose's phone. It's got the code. Get it out there. Stop those factories. And good luck, Mickey the idiot."

"Watch it," Mickey's voice cracked as he laughed.

"I'm gonna miss you, Mickey," Zana stepped up to her friend and pulled him into a hug, fighting back tears. "Don't forget about me, eh?"

"Never," Mickey smiled and pulled back. "You look after them. And have a good life, Zana Kline."

"And you, Mickey Smith," she stepped forwards and left a kiss on his cheek. She gave him a small smile before turning and following the Doctor into the TARDIS. "I can't believe it..."

"He's going to be fine," the Doctor assured her as he shrugged off his suit jacket and laid it over the captain's chair. "In fact, he's going to be brilliant."

"Promise?" She looked up at him as she sat down, taking his jacket into her arms so she didn't sit on it.

"Promise," he gave her a slight smile as Rose stepped into the time machine. As soon as the doors were closed, the Doctor yanked down on a lever, sending them back to their universe.

~*~*~*~*~

It was sort of odd seeing Jackie Tyler alive and well, serving cups of tea and gossiping away with the three time travelers, but Zana was glad, nonetheless. Rose had barely left her side, not the Doctor or Zana blamed her. Hell, Zana was contemplating going to see her own parents, but she was sorta afraid to. Her parents had no idea where she was, and just showing up back home didn't really seem like that good of an idea. She wouldn't be shocked if they had people out looking for her right now, to be completely honest.

"I'm gonna go walk around," Zana interrupted one of Jackie's stories about Beth a few streets down and stood up, zipping her leather jacket as she did so. "Um...Rose, can you make sure not to leave without me?"

"Don't worry about it," she gave Zana a small smile. "Be careful."

"I'll try," she chuckled softly before stepping outside, into the cool February air. She looked out at the illuminated city of London with a sad smile on her face before walking down the steps, stuffing her hands into her pockets as she started down the sidewalk. The sun had set not too long ago, leaving what little stars that were bright enough to get past the layer of light pollution to shine in the night sky. She still really couldn't believe that she had been among them. Everything seemed so surreal to her, even now.

Just as she turned to walk into a small cafe, someone ran into the back of her. She stumbled forward, but luckily whoever it was grabbed her arm. She turned around, and let out an annoyed groan at who she saw. "Really, Doctor?"

"I've been trying to get your attention for a few blocks now," he explained as he held the door open for her. "It seems you're preoccupied."

"Just a bit," she sighed as the two of them stepped inside. "I've got a lot of things on my mind."

"I can tell."

"What are you doing following me, anyway?"

"Figured you need someone to talk to," he gave her a small smile as she dug into her pockets, expecting to pull out her wallet, but nothing was there. She let out a frustrated huff before turning around and walking back out the door. "What? What's wrong?"

"My wallet's on the TARDIS," she informed as she started back down the sidewalk.

"Ah..." the Doctor moved so he was walking beside her. "Zana, look...I'm sorry about what happened today."

"I know," she nodded as they walked. "It's not your fault."

"Suppose not," he pushed his trench coat back as he slid his hands into his trouser pockets. "But those Cybermen really scared you, I could tell."

"They were people who had their humanity taken away. Yeah, that really scared the hell out of me, Doctor. Those poor people..." her voice fell to a whisper. "And on top of all that, Mickey's gone...I just can't believe it, I guess."

"I know you two were close..."

"Yeah...Mickey was a special guy," Zana smiled softly, looking down at the sidewalk.

The Doctor was silent a moment before asking, "You two weren't...you know..."

Zana looked up at the Time Lord, "Weren't what?"

"Nothing," he replied quickly, shaking his head, making her raise an eyebrow.

"Are you trying to ask if Mickey and I...were a thing?" Zana realized, her eyes widening slightly. Why the hell would he be asking her that? Well, she supposes she understood where he was coming from, but it was still strange that he was asking.

"No," he said matter-of-factly before faltering. "Well, yes."

"Why?"

"Just wondering," he sniffed and looked straight ahead, avoiding eye contact.

"No, we weren't," she decided to tell him. "Even if I wanted to, there would be many factors that would keep it from happening."

"Like what?" he pondered curiously as the two of them made it to a small park, which was occupied only by a couple of joggers and a few couples strolling through it.

Zana led the Doctor over to a metal bench and sat down, shivering slightly in the winter air as she did so. She wrapped her arms around herself as the Doctor took a seat beside her, "For one, he's still head over heels for Rose Tyler."

"Oh..." he nodded. "Should've known that one."

"Seeing as you're the same way," Zana teased with a chuckle. "Don't suppose I blame the two of you, though. She's a lovely person." The Doctor didn't reply as he looked out at the others who were at the park as well as if he was studying them. "And...well, I don't think I'm his type."

"His type? What's his type?"

"Pretty blondes," she muttered.

"Why should a hair color make a difference?"

She chuckled and looked over at him. A smile formed on her lips as she looked over him, "It just does, I suppose."

"That's daft."

"It kinda is," she felt her smile widen as she took in the confusion on his face. She found it...adorable. "What about you, Doctor? Why do you fancy Rose?"

"Who said I did?"

"You did."

"When?"

"Words aren't the only way of saying things, you'll find. The way you look at her says it all." He opened his mouth to speak but frankly closed it. "Got you there, didn't I? Anyway, it doesn't matter. The two of you are great together."

"We aren't together."

"Yet."

"What is it with humans always domesticating things?" He raised an eyebrow.

"It's all we've ever known," she informed.

"Tell me about it."

She chuckled, biting her lip as she glancing down at her worn trainers, thinking over the crazy events of that day. "Is it always gonna be like it was today? I mean, the term 'run for your life' was quite literal today."

"No," he replied softly, shifting a bit in his spot. Zana felt his hand next to hers, and she couldn't quite explain why she felt disappointed when he didn't take her hand into his.

She bit her lip and decided to make light of the situation, "Seriously, how do you handle the running?"

"Running is all I've ever done," he gave her a small smile.

"Is it always gonna happen? Because if it is, I'm going to have to reconsider this whole traveling with you thing," she joked, not taking her eyes off her trainers.

"Don't worry, Zana Kline. I'll make sure that you have the time of your life."

She looked up at the Time Lord, their eyes locking as she did so. She could have sworn she felt her heart speed up in her chest, but she dismissed it to the cold wind that was sweeping through the park.

After all, who was she to fall for the Doctor?

~*~*~*~*~

A/N: Look at that, 3 chapters in 3 days. That's sorta impressive...Hope you like it! (Even though the Doctor/Zana is rubbish. Also, let's just ignore how short the chapter is.) You can totally throw some things you wanna see between them my way. I'm all up for ideas.


	12. The Idiot's Lantern

When Zana woke up the next day to her name being called, she half expected the Doctor to be at her door, telling her to get up and get ready, but instead, all she found was an empty TARDIS. Rose wasn't in her room, nor was the Doctor in the console room, which she found odd. Where the hell could they be?

"Doctor?" She called out as she ran a hand through her hair, tugging at the knots that had appeared in her sleep. "Rose? Are you two busy?"

No response.

"Doooctor? Come on, Doc."

Again, nothing.

She huffed and groggily walked back to her bedroom, nearly tripping over the pair of jeans she had been donning the day before. A curse escaped her lips as she moved towards her closet, absently grabbing an outfit before stepping into the loo. Might as well get ready for the day. Or night. Or whatever time she was going to end up in.

~*~*~*~*~

The control room immediately shined a bit brighter when Zana stepped foot into it, but she didn't seem to notice as she dialed Rose Tyler's phone number into her mobile. Within seconds she pressed the device to her right ear as she slid on her leather jacket and moved towards the doors.

"Come on...come on..." she murmured as she walked out of the blue box. Her eyes instantly started taking in her surroundings, which really didn't seem like much. It looked just like a normal London street, much to her disappointment. She had tuned out the ringing of the phone line, but that was abruptly interrupted when the voice of the Doctor filled her head.

"Zana? Zana, are you alright?" His voice sounded panicked, making the brunette frown as she turned in a circle, trying to find someplace she recognized, but to no prevail.

"I'm fine, Doctor. What's wrong? Where are you?" She questioned curiously.

"Zana, get back in the TARDIS," the panicked tone had turned to a more authoritative one, surprising her.

"What? Where are you two?" Her frown deepened as she strode down the sidewalk.

"That doesn't matter. Now get in the damn TARDIS!"

"I think you think you have authority over me, which you don't, by the way."

"Just do as I say, Zana," the tone of his voice sent a shiver down her spine.

"What's wrong, Doctor? What's going on?" The worry had seeped into her voice, but she didn't care. Something was wrong, really wrong, by the sounds of it. The Doctor was angry, and she knew what he was capable of when he was in this state of mind. But why wouldn't he tell her what happened? It admittedly takes a lot to get him cross. Press the right button, strike the right nerve...wait a second, where's Rose? "Doctor, what happened to Rose?"

"Zana, please! Just listen to me!" He sounded desperate now. "Look, I'm heading back to the TARDIS now, if you're not-"

Just as Zana turned a corner, she spotted two figures running down the sidewalk towards her. Almost instantly she recognized one of them as the distressed Time Lord, and a teenage boy, that had to be only a few years younger than her, and who was also carrying a strange makeshift contraption in his arms. She pulled her phone from her ear and pressed the 'end' button, locking eyes with the Doctor as he rushed towards her. And he did not look happy.

"Is it so hard for you to listen to me?" Was the first thing out of his mouth as he walked right up to her, his eyes not leaving hers.

"Apparently so," she replied, looking over the features of his face. He was beyond angry. He was livid. If Zana didn't know him, she'd think he was the one who had to be stopped. And who knows? Maybe he was.

He glared at her, "Zana, if you don't get back in that TARDIS-"

"Then what?" She challenged, crossing her arms as she looked up at him. "What would you possibly do to me, Doctor?"

He stared at her for a moment, neither of them backing down. There was no way Zana was going to just sit back in the TARDIS while he was out here in the middle of god knows what. She could help! On top of that, she needed to know what happened to Rose. Was she hurt?

"Doctor, we don't have much time," the teenage boy that was accompanying the Doctor spoke up, making the Time Lord sigh.

"You're right. Come on," he took off past Zana, towards his trusty spaceship. Within seconds he was in and out of it, confusing Zana as he dashed off down the street.

"I'm Zana," she introduced to the boy hurriedly as the two of them rushed after the Doctor. He didn't seem to mind that he had to carry god-knows-what in his arms as he ran, and he definitely didn't seem to notice the Doctor running beside him, pressing parts into the machine. "And you?"

"Tommy," he gave her a strained smile.

"Lovely to meet you, Tommy," she nodded. "What exactly are we running to?"

"There!" He nodded up towards the sky, causing Zana to gasp. Above them was a rather tall transmission tower, and a man appeared to be climbing it.

"Come on!" The Doctor grabbed the machine from Tommy's grasp and took off ahead. They sped up but were nearly stopped by the guard of the entrance.

"Wait, wait, who do you think-" the Doctor merely flashed the psychic paper and kept running. "Oh! I'm very sorry, sir. Shouldn't you be at the Coronation?"

"They're saving me a seat!" He shouted as Zana And Tommy caught up to him.

"Who does he think you were?" Zana questioned, making the Doctor look down at his psychic paper with a huff.

"King of Belgium, apparently," he informed absently, not sparing her a look. A frown formed on her lips as she watched the Doctor take off around the corner towards what she assumed was the console room of the tower. Why was he so cross with her? All she wanted to do is help him! But then again, when was the Doctor ever easy to deal with? "Keep this switched on. Don't let anyone stop you, Tommy. Everything depends on it. You understand?"

Zana watched as the Doctor showed Tommy what exactly he had to do with the machine he had completed, confused beyond belief. She had no idea what was going on, and that worried her. On top of that, Rose was missing, and the Doctor didn't seem too keen on telling her what was happening.

"What are you doing?" Zana spoke up when she saw the Doctor grab a large bundle of copper wire. Unsurprisingly, he didn't reply. He just simply ran out of the room. A frustrated huff left the brunette's lips before deciding to chase after him. "Doctor!"

"Zana, get back in there!" He called back as she looked down at the copper wiring that he was trailing behind him.

"No! You need help!" She replied.

He came to an abrupt stop and turned to face her, a look on his face that nearly made Zana step back in fear. "Stay down here, that's an order."

"Doctor-"

"Zana, please..." His light brown irises bore into her blue ones, making her gulp. There was an unrecognizable look in his eyes, and it was enough to knock Zana back to her senses. There was something there, something he wasn't saying...

"Alright...alright," she nodded, sighing as she stepped back. "Just, be careful. Please."

He gave her a quick nod before turning and rushing past the guard, up the stairwell, towards the transmission tower.

"You'll get yourself killed up there!" The guard called after him as Zana bit her lip anxiously. "Your Majesty!"

"Who is that?" Zana murmured to herself as the man she presumed the Doctor was after reached the top of the mast. "Whoever he is, he can't be sane."

Almost as soon as the words left her lips, red bolts of lightning shot out from the top of the transmission tower. Zana gasped and stepped back, blocking her eyes from the bright lights. It only took a few seconds for her to turn and rush back into the control room, having decided that it was probably the safest place to be. Tommy was looking around the room worriedly, making her frown.

"What is it? What's wrong?" Zana asked quickly. "Tommy!"

"Shush!" He exclaimed loudly.

"Did you just shush me? Did you really just-" she started, but he pushed past her, grabbing a bulb off the shelf behind her before running back and plugging it into the machine that the Doctor had built. Red bolts of electricity started to surround it, making her frown return. "What? Did you fix it?"

"I have...no idea..." he shook his head as the electricity died down. Everything turned silent. The only noise filling the air was that of...hold on.

"Is that the Queen? Is that Queen Elizabeth's coronation?" Zana stepped up to the small monitor on the control panel. "Oh my god, it is! We're in 1953!"

"Just figuring that out?" Tommy chuckled.

"You can hardly blame me," she gave him a small smile.

"What have I missed?" The Doctor's voice echoed from the doorway, making them spin around.

"Doctor! What happened?" Tommy questioned as Zana crossed her arms, looking over him.

"Sorted. Electrical creature, TV technology, clever alien life form," the Doctor smiled as he walked over to them. "That's me by the way. I turned the receiver back into a transmitter and I trapped the Wire in here."

"That's...that's a VCR," Zana realized, looking over the machine the Doctor had built. A laugh escaped her lips in amusement.

"I just invented the home video thirty years early. Betamax," he held up the VCR tape with a cheeky grin. "Oh, look. God save the Queen, eh?"

Zana glanced back at the monitor and chuckled softly, shaking her head.

~*~*~*~*~

"You gonna tell me what all that was about?" Zana walked alongside the Doctor as they made their way towards Tommy's home. "Or are you just going to wave it all off with a 'don't worry about it' and call it a day?"

The Doctor glanced down at her, "Everything's sorted. Let's not worry about it."

She let out a laugh, "Wow. Sometimes I can't believe you."

"Oh, it's my grandson, Oh, son!" An older woman called as they made it to a small neighborhood, making Tommy take off and embrace her.

Before Zana even knew what was happening, a flash of pink and blue rushed past her and engulfed the Doctor in a hug. She turned to see him lifting none other than Rose Tyler off her feet, a wide smile on his face. The young brunette ran a hand through her hair before walking past them, in the direction of the TARDIS. She almost wished one of them would call her, ask her to come back, but she wasn't surprised when they didn't. She didn't even think they noticed she had left. Why would they? They had each other.

~*~*~*~*~

It had to of been at least three or so hours later before there was a soft knock on her door. She didn't bother looking up from the mess of papers that were scattered over the desk the TARDIS had supplied her with when the door to her room slowly creaked open.

"Zana?" the soft voice of Rose Tyler filled her ears. "You alright?"

"Fine," she replied, flipping through the small stack of papers she has paper-clipped together.

"What are you doing?" Rose stepped inside and closed the door behind her.

Zana looked up at her, noticing that she was still in her outfit from earlier. "I'm just looking through a few things. Nothing to worry about."

"What are you looking into?"

She shrugged, "The coronation of Queen Elizabeth II. Strange day, I would say."

Rose bit her lip, "Look, Zana, I'm sorry-"

"For what?" Zana sighed and pulled off her glasses, setting them down on her desk. "You have nothing to apologize for."

"We should have waited for you-"

"You wanted an adventure. How can I blame you for that?"

She sighed and looked down, "I'm still sorry."

"It's fine, Rose. Really," Zana gave her a small smile. "I like your outfit, by the way. It looks nice on you."

"Thanks," Rose smiled in return. "I thought we were going to see Elvis."

A soft laugh left Zana's lips, "But you got London instead. How fitting. Anyway, where's the Doctor?"

"He said he had some things to work on in the console room," she shrugged, pulling the pink hairband from her hair, letting it fall loose.

"I'm sure he does," Zana mumbled. "You know, he's a difficult person."

"Tell me about it," she left out a puff of air as she sat on Zana's bed, which was still disarrayed from that morning.

"How do you put up with him?" Zana pondered, sliding her glasses back on.

"I've just grown used to it, I suppose," she chuckled.

"Hmm..." Zana looked over her before turning around in her chair so she was facing her desk. She tossed the papers she had been looking over into the trash bin beside her. She had almost forgotten that not everything she looked into would end up being a report or an essay.

"You'll get used to it," Rose assured. "It just takes a while."

"If I'm around long enough to get used to it," she joked softly.

"What do you mean by that?" Rose frowned.

"I was kidding, Rose," Zana waved her off. "You must be exhausted. You've had a long day."

"I am feeling a bit worn out," she murmured, rubbing her forehead. "Mind if I crash here tonight?"

"I don't mind," Zana mumbled, pushing her hair out of her eyes. "I'm not exactly tired, so I'll probably be up for a while."

She nodded, yawning as she closed her eyes. "Night, Zana."

"Goodnight, Rose," she chuckled softly, turning around so she was facing her desk again as the lights dimmed in her room. She blinked a few times, adjusting her eyes to the new hue of light before shrugging off her leather jacket she had neglected to take off earlier and laying over the back of her seat.

"Zana?" Rose called so softly Zana almost didn't hear her name pass through her lips.

"Yes, Rose?" She called back, looking back at her again.

She bit her lip, "I've got a question."

"And I'll more than likely have the answer."

"The Doctor...do you...do you think he...?"

Zana raised an eyebrow, "He what?"

A light shade of red flushed across her cheeks, "Do you think he fancies me, Zana?"

"And here I thought it was going to be a good question," Zana grabbed her notebook off her desk, along with a pencil. She stood from her spot and moved towards her bedroom door. "Rose, do you really have to ask?"

Before Rose could reply, Zana stepped out into the corridor. Her eyes instantly closed, the bright lights a noticeable contrast from the dim ones of her room.

"You alright?"

The brunette fought back a groan when the Time Lord's voice rang out. She almost turned back into her room but decided against it. After all, what good would it do to ignore him?

"Fine," she eventually replied, opening her eyes to see him standing before her. "The light's a bit bright, is all. What do you need?"

"I came to check on you," he informed, rubbing the back of his neck. It was a nervous tick of his. "You seemed a bit cross-"

"I'm not cross," she said simply, running her thumb over the sharp point of her wooden pencil.

"Could've fooled me."

"Doesn't take much."

He sighed, "You're a handful."

"Anything less would be a disappointment," she retorted.

He gave her a look before exhaling deeply, "Well then, if you're not cross-"

"Then it appears we don't have anything to converse about."

"Well, I wouldn't say that."

"Wouldn't you?"

"No, I wouldn't," he gave her a disbelieving look.

"Hmm," her eyes trailed over his form, taking in his appearance. He had ditched his suit jacket somewhere and his sleeves were rolled up to his elbows. She guessed he really was working on the console. "What's with the hair?"

He frowned before it donned on him, "I thought I was taking Rose to see Elvis Presley."

"Right," she nodded. "Well, I'm sure that if you two had actually gotten there you would have enjoyed it."

He sighed, "Zana, I'm sorry for acting as I did. Really, I am."

"I'm not mad, Doctor. I'm not. You and Rose have both apologized. I'm good. Really, I'm good," she stepped past him, down the corridor.

The Doctor ran a hand through his hair, sending it in different directions as he followed her, "What's wrong, then?"

She shook her head, "I don't like being told I can't help."

"I was trying to keep you safe! It's not like you listened anyway!"

"Did you expect me to?" she raised an eyebrow.

The Doctor paused, "No..."

"All I wanted was to know what happened to Rose, you know," she muttered. "But you seemed set on keeping me out of things."

"Just Rose?" He asked quietly, his voice seeming to betray himself.

"Yes, Rose," she walked through the doors leading to the library, seemingly oblivious to his tone. "You two had just left without me. I don't mind that, but the fact that you tried to keep me out of things annoys me." She sighed, "I don't know, Doctor."

He sighed, "I just wanted you safe..."

She glanced up at him from the corners of her eyes, "I know you're used to protecting people, Doctor. But I'm fine."

A frown formed on the Time Lord's lips as he stared at her for a moment. Zana risked a glimpse into his eyes, but much to her surprise they were unreadable. She bit her lip as he shook his head. "Alright. If you say so."

"Good," she nodded, sitting her notebook and pencil down on top of a reading chair. She settled down into the chair herself after grabbing a few random books from the nearest shelf, but the Doctor was still standing in the doorway. Zana watched as he kept glancing in her directing, occasionally muttering things under his breath as he did so. It wasn't uncomfortable so much as it was...out of character. Maybe it wasn't for him, she didn't really know.

She watched him for a few moments, forgetting her intentions of reading the books she had grabbed, "You're already here. You might as well sit and talk, you know." He blinked and straightened his posture, looking like a deer in headlights. After opening and closing his mouth several times, his cheeks turned a dull pink and he was down the hall as fast as he could go. She raised an eyebrow, staring at where he had been standing before standing up and walking out into the corridor. "Doctor? Doctor, where'd you go?"

Disappointment seemed to flush through her as she found he was nowhere to be seen. Her brain started to come up with an explanation as to what the hell had just happened, but for the first time in a long time, no reasonable answer came to mind. It almost seemed like he was worried about her...

Zana shook her head as she walked back into the library and sat down, trying to calm her thoughts. The last thing she needed was to give herself false hope or even entertain the idea of fancying the Doctor, or vice-versa. She was just a passenger on the TARDIS, nothing more, and she was positive that was how the Doctor saw her.

After all, she's no Rose.

~*~*~*~*~

A/N: Hi, guys! So, so sorry for the late update, and the short update, and the more than likely rubbish update...


	13. The Foreign Statue

The console room was by far one of Zana's favorite rooms in the whole of the TARDIS, merely because she could sit in there and listen to the humming of the ancient machine's engines and the whirring of the time rotor, as the Doctor had called it. It was peaceful. It calmed her nerves after a rather long adventure or when she just wanted to be alone. That was, when the Doctor wasn't underneath the control panel, messing around with the different parts and wires. Zana wasn't even sure he knew what he was doing because most of the time all he did was hit his head when he tried to sit up, but she didn't question him. Evidently, he knew enough to keep the machine running, so that was enough for her.

"So what to do today, Miss Zana Kline?" The Doctor's voice pulled her from her thoughts as she blinked a few times, making her eyes sting. She hadn't blinked in ages, it seemed.

"I don't mind. Let Rose choose," Zana shrugged her shoulders slightly as she sat up straight in the captain's chair. "Speaking of which, where is Rose?"

"More than likely, still asleep," he informed. "You're up pretty early."

"How can you tell? We're in a time machine."

"Time Lord. Kinda in the name," he leaned against the console and folded his arms across his chest. "Why are you up so early, Zan?"

"Wasn't tired."

"Right."

"I wasn't."

"Wouldn't have anything to do with the Cybermen, would it?" He gave her an almost knowing look as she avoided his gaze. She wished it was only the Cybermen. To tell the truth, she didn't know what it was. She didn't know why she's been having the same dream every night for weeks now. It's almost like that voice has been haunting her, and it worried her, more than she'd like to admit. She couldn't pinpoint who it belonged to...it was so familiar, the voice, but it was like her mind refused to remember who owns it.

"No," she sighed, tugging absently at the chain of her necklace. "It's not that...My sleeping schedule is still a bit crazy. I'm still adapting to this whole TARDIS time thing."

"You sure that's it?"

His voice was soft...it was comforting. For a split second, she considered telling him, but almost as soon as the thought formed, it vanished. What would he be able to do anyway? It wasn't like he could go inside her head and figure it out himself. It was just a dream, after all. Nothing she couldn't handle.

"Positive," she offered him a tired smile, failing at her attempt to convince him she wasn't sleepy. "What about you, Doctor? Do you sleep?"

"Occasionally, I suppose. Not near as much as you humans do, that's for sure. You spend half your lives dreaming."

She nodded, fighting back a yawn. He wasn't wrong. He rarely was, annoying so. "I suppose we do. Anyway, enough about dreams. Do you have any plans as to what we're gonna do when Rose wakes up?"

"Nope!" He gave her a slight grin. "More fun that way, Zan."

"I've learned it to be so," she agreed, smiling as well. "How long until she wakes, do you think?"

He thought for a moment, "Oh...3 hours or so? That's if we're lucky. Not much can get in the way of Rose Tyler and sleep."

Zana laughed softly, "What do you suggest we do to occupy the time, then?"

"Whatever you'd like," he informed, his smile sly as he pushed himself off of the console, ready to pilot the ancient ship.

"Whatever I'd like?" She repeated, raising an eyebrow. "How exciting..." Her mind flooded with a million different places and a thousand different time periods she longed to visit as she stood from her seat. "How about Ancient Rome? Can you do that?"

He scoffed as he reached behind him and pulled a lever without even so much as glancing at it, "Can I do that? Do you even have to ask?"

She just gave him a cheeky smile as she gripped onto the control panel, having grown accustomed to the turbulence that accompanied the Time Lord's piloting. He sent her a quick wink back just as the TARDIS jolted almost violently to the right, sending him flying into the captain's chair with a shout. Zana hardly had time to laugh before she herself was tossed aside, landing right next to the alien. Almost knowingly, the ship came to a sudden halt, sending them both to the floor below. After catching their breath, the two time travelers glanced at each other before breaking out in a joyous laugh, the mere absurdity comical to them both. 

"Are we in Ancient Rome?" She asked as she stood up, the Doctor following suit.

"I do believe we are," he nodded, holding out a hand to the human, giving her one of his maniac grins. "Shall we?"

She bit her lip, taking his hand as he led them towards the doors. He threw them open, and much to Zana's surprise, she was greeted by hundreds of people, dressed in colorful togas, wandering around what seemed like a spacious market. "Oh my...you actually did it! Doctor!" She laughed, jumping up in excitement as she squeezed the Time Lord's hand happily. "This is amazing!"

"I'm glad you like it," he smiled widely down at her, lacing their fingers together absently as they stepped out of the time machine, out into the world. Zana didn't seem to mind as she tugged him into the crowd, her eyes wide as she took in as much as she could. She would never get used to this, ever. This was history! She was actually in history! "What would you like to see first, Zan? The Colosseum, the-"

"What year is it?" She interrupted, looking around once more, having calmed a bit. "Do you know?"

The Doctor glanced around as well, biting the inside of his cheek as he did so. He wasn't about to admit he hadn't the faintest idea, so instead, he said, "I'm guessing around 38 A.D."

"Oh...you're kidding, right?" A nervous laugh escaped her lips. "Doctor, tell me you're kidding."

He frowned, slightly confused by her sudden change in moods. "No, no, I'm not. Why? What's wrong?"

"First of all, the Colosseum isn't built yet," she informed, gulping as she subconsciously moved closer to the alien. "And second of all...let's hope we don't run into the Emperor."

His mouth opened slightly, having realized what she was saying. "Zana, you don't have to worry. There's no way we'll catch his attention."

She nodded, deciding to believe him despite her common sense telling her not to. She didn't know why, but her trust for him seemed to be unbreakable by this point. And that annoyed her beyond belief.

"Come on," he smiled warmly down at her. "Let's go look around, shall we?"

She returned the smile and nodded, allowing him to lead the way. Her eyes took in as much as they could as the two of them made their way (unknowingly) towards the heart of the city, but at one point, she seemed to become fixated on the man beside her. He was rambling away about Greece, for some unknown reason, but she didn't seem to mind. She listened to every word he said, nodding and smiling as she did so.

Ever since Queen Elizabeth's coronation, they had been a bit distant, but today seemed to change that. Being with him, alone, exploring a whole new time, made her realize just how much she's grown attached to the Doctor. His crazy smiles, his daft antics, his quirks, his outlandish stories...everything. Even his troubles. Whenever things turned dark, when all fun was set aside and when things were a matter between life or death, she made an effort to be there, by his side. She had to reassure him that things would be fine, even when she just knew things were going to end disastrously. But she tried. For him. And when it was all said and done and the foe had been defeated, it was still Rose's arms he fell into. But Zana didn't blame him, or her. The two of them had undeniable chemistry and history, and it would take a tremendous force to break that up. And Zana just didn't size up. She doubted she ever would...Not that she would want to, she had to keep saying to herself. Seeing them, her two best friends, happy, brought joy to the teen, and that's all she would ever really want.

"Zana? Zan? Helloo?" The Doctor's voice brought the brunette back to reality. She blinked a few times, tearing her gaze from the Time Lord. She had forgotten she was staring.

"Sorry," she muttered embarrassingly. "What were you saying?"

"I was talking about their gods. Roman mythology is a very peculiar thing," he nudged her, chuckling softly. "What were you thinking about?"

"Nothing," Zana tried to dismiss, looking ahead as she pushed a piece of hair behind her ear.

"You're lying," he said simply, looking ahead as well.

"So what if I am?"

"Lying isn't good."

"That's rich, coming from you."

He scoffed, "I lie only when necessary."

"Mhmm," she gave him a look.

"I do!"

She couldn't help but chuckle, shaking her head slightly before almost being pushed to the ground. The only thing that stopped her from hitting the rock below was the Doctor, who quickly spun into action by pulling her to him. Zana quickly looked up to see a group of Roman centurions marching past her.

"Bloody Romans," she mumbled under her breath as she pulled away from the Doctor's embrace.

"You alright?" The Doctor asked, looking over her.

"Of course I'm alright. I was just shoved, that's all. Wonder where they're going..."

"Probably there," he nodded towards a grand building just before them, which Zana immediately recognized as a palace.

"Guessing that belongs to the Emperor..." She gulped, having forgotten about him altogether. "We better head back..."

"Good idea..." He nodded, moving to turn around when something caught his eye. "Wait a minute..."

"Doctor, we can't stay here. We have to go," Zana tugged on his hand, having seen the statue he was staring at. There didn't seem to get anything significant about it. She just assumed it was a statue of one of the Romans' many gods. "Doctor!"

"Zana, shush," he released her hand as he stepped towards the marble statue. A feeling of hopelessness washed over her as she realized they weren't leaving anytime soon. He had found something wrong. "This statue...it shouldn't belong here."

"Why? It's just a bloody statue!" Her voice became shaky. She didn't want to risk running into the Emperor, Caligula. He was one of the worst Emperors of all time, and possibly one of the worst humans of all time! And he was preoccupied with a bloody statue!

"No, it's not," he murmured, pulling his glasses from his pocket and sliding them into his face. He inspected the stone for a moment before pulling away, almost defensively. "Zana...we can't leave, not yet."

"What? Why?" She demanded.

"This isn't a statue," his voice suddenly turned very serious, sending a shiver down the brunette's spine.

"Then what is it?" She breathed as he stepped back, reaching behind him to take her hand once more. Not once did he turn to face her, instead opting to keep his eyes locked on the figure before him. Dread filled the human as she pulled him closer, wrapping her arm around his just to be as physically close to the Doctor as she possibly could be. "Doctor?"

He took a deep breath, gently and slowly pushing her behind him as if merely being by the statue was dangerous. "Zana...don't blink."

******

A/N: I haven't updated in ages! I'm so, so sorry! Summer has been a giant hassle, and honestly, I'd prefer writing to dealing with summer any day! I do hope you enjoy it! This is an original chapter(s), and I hope it turns out cool! If someone has something similar, then I'm terribly sorry. I was just thinking of something and well, 'Rome. Statues. Wait a minute...' Anyway, yeah. Hope you enjoy! :)


	14. The Foreign Statue Pt. 2

Don't Blink.

Who knew those two words could mean the difference between life and death? Certainly not Zana.

"Alright," Zana nodded her head slowly, her fingers gripping the fabric of the Doctor's trench coat as her blue eyes bore into the statue. "What is it, Doctor?"

The Doctor inhaled deeply as he pulled his glasses off, "It's called a Weeping Angel."

"Very fitting," she murmured, looking over the stone figure in front of her. A crying angel, that's exactly what it was. "Why can't I take my eyes off it? What will it do? It's not like it can move. It's made of stone."

He reached down and took her hand, taking a step back as he did so. "They're stone only when you're looking at them, Zan. They're quantum locked, meaning that they don't exist whenever another living being is watching it. But once you look away, once you blink...they send you back in time, away from your loved ones, away from everything you've ever known."

"Why? How would they benefit from that?" She asked, desperately trying to ignore the stinging of her eyes. They had dried out, and the wind blowing in their direction wasn't exactly helping her either.

"They feed off your potential time energy," he murmured before quickly pulling her behind a building, out of sight of the statue. He instantly starting blinking, signaling Zana that it was safe. She squeezed her eyes shut, rubbing them with her palms for a moment before looking back up at the Doctor.

"Perfect place for them to hide," Zana muttered as her eyes started to water. "Ancient Rome? This place is overflowing with statues. Of course, that also makes them easy to find, yeah?"

"How would that make them easy to find?" The Doctor asked in an almost patronizing tone, making her roll her eyes.

"Because Roman statues, Doctor, are typically made of marble. Or bronze. And that...Weeping Angel, it looked nothing like either, did it?"

A smile grew on his lips, "Oh, you're brilliant!"

"I try my best," she gave him a proud smirk, pride filling her. "So how do we get rid of them? Is there a special way to kill them or something?"

"Can't kill a stone, Zana," he murmured absently as he seemed to think. "Where did they come from, that's the question. How did they get here?"

"Why does it matter how they got here?" Zana frowned slightly.

He turned on his heels, taking in the surrounding area, "Because if we find the source, it'll be easier to stop the problem."

"Well like I said, different statues, right?"

The Doctor nodded and smiled, "Exactly."

"Why do I have the feeling that you're gonna make us meet the Emperor?" A feeling of dread filled the teen at the mere thought of having to go anywhere near the infamous Emperor. The things Caligula has done...there would be no way they'd make it out alive. But there was something...a nagging feeling that told her that the Doctor wouldn't dare get her hurt, which calmed her nerves more than she'd like to admit.

"Oh, where's your sense of adventure?" The Doctor grabbed her arm, pulling her through the crowded streets without a care in the world.

"So what do we do?" Zana asked in a last-ditch attempt to stay away from the palace. She was really dreading it.

"We go meet the emperor!"

"Great. Brilliant. For one split second, I thought your brain had started working!" She couldn't help but huff with frustration. This man was so unbelievably daft!

"Do you have to be mean all the time?" He gave her a look.

"Well no, it's just more fun that way," she muttered.

"For you, maybe."

"Of course for me. Especially me."

He shook his head as they came upon the large and beautiful palace. Caligula had taste, she'd give him that.

"We can't just walk in there," Zana murmured, her eyes tracing over every detail of the structure before her. It was enchanting, to say the least...

Without so much as taking his eyes off the palace, the Doctor pulled a leather wallet from his pocket and flipped it open to reveal a blank piece of paper. Zana tore her gaze from the building and looked at the Doctor, rolling her eyes. She still didn't really believe that 'psychic paper' actually worked. And the fact that nothing was showing up for her just furthered her point. Wasn't it suppose to show her what the Doctor wanted her to see?

"That'll really do some good," she scoffed, folding her arms. "They're just gonna let us in because of a blank piece of paper?"

That brought his eyes to her. "What?"

"There's nothing there. I told Rose that psychic paper was a load of rubbish."

"What, it-" He shook his head. "It's a mind trick, usually people aren't able to see it for what it is."

"Then why can't I see it?" She frowned slightly.

"Well, occasionally extremely perceptive people aren't so easily tricked by it. But that doesn't make sense, I mean you're-" He stopped, realizing what he was saying.

"I'm what?" She raised an eyebrow, challenging him. She wasn't even able to count how many times she had gotten on to him about referring to her as 'only human'.

As if there was anything only about being human.

"Er...." he rubbed the back of his neck. "A lovely and very intelligent woman?"

"Nice save," Zana smirked slightly.

"I thought so," he nodded.

"What was it suppose to say, anyway?" She asked after a moment.

"Doesn't matter," he waved her off swiftly as he hurried up the steps of the palace. She had no choice but to shake her head and follow after him.

The Doctor was definitely something else.

~*~*~*~*~

"I swear to god, Doctor, if you don't get us out of here-" Zana started, hitting her head against the stone wall of their 'cell'. It wasn't really a cell, if she was being completely honest, just a room in the palace guarded by several centurions, but it had the same effect.

"What, Zana? What could you possibly do?" He raised an eyebrow, watching her intently as she leaned against one of the four walls, her eyes closed and her arms crossed. "You don't have to worry, we'll get out."

"How? Last I checked, there's four of them, and two of us."

"Oh, I easily count as three people," the Doctor straightened his tie and inhaled deeply. "Well, intellectually, anyway."

"Like that'll help us against centurions who've been taught nothing but how to fight since the age of seven. Great thinking, Doctor. At that rate, we'll be back to the TARDIS in no time."

The Doctor didn't even have to look at her to know she was rolling her eyes behind her eyelids, which only made him roll his eyes. "I don't see you coming up with any ideas, Miss I'll Just Let The Doctor Solve Everything."

"We're only in here because you let Caligula in on the whole Weeping Angel thing! You should have left him out of this!"

"Without him, we wouldn't have stopped them!"

The teenager scoffed, "Yeah right. All he did was flirt with you the whole time."

"Caligula told us everything- wait a second. Flirt?"

"I've literally never seen someone flirt so much in their life, Doctor," Zana gave him a look as she pushed herself from the stone wall.

"Never met Captain Jack."

"Who?"

"There we are, then."

"What?" She frowned, confused, but he just waved her off.

"Doesn't matter. Right, well, look at it this way. At least we got rid of the Weeping Angels."

"By teleporting them to the bloody Sun. How did you even do that?"

"They got here by a transmat device, which was damaged when they arrived. All I had to do was find it, fix it, and reroute the coordinates to the center of the Solar System."

"And care to explain how you know they got here by a transmat thing?"

"That was a guess. They can't operate ships or spacecraft because then they'd risk looking at each other, which would freeze them permanently."

"So they can't even look at each other?" Zana frowned slightly, taking a few steps towards the Time Lord. "At all?"

The Doctor simply shook his head, "The Lonely Assassins, that's what they're commonly known as across the Universe."

Her frown deepened, looking up at him. "Where do they come from?"

"Nobody knows," he answered softly. "They're as old as the Universe itself, or very nearly."

"Ugh, I hate you," Zana huffed, breaking the somber mood that had fallen over them.

"What did I do?!" He exclaimed exasperatedly.

"You and your bloody tendency to make me feel bad for the bad guys!" She grumbled, looking up at him. "I'm supposed to hate them!"

"Says who?"

She gave him an annoyed look.

~*~*~*~*~

The TARDIS door opened with a rather loud thud and swung shut on its own behind the two as they rushed inside, but they hardly noticed. Zana was trying her best to catch her breath, but the fact that she couldn't stop laughing made things extremely difficult for the teen. The Doctor seemed to be having the same problem, though he handled it better, quickly changing from panting laughter to just laughter. "Oh, it's been ages since I've laughed that hard!"

"Really?" Zana breathed, wiping a few stray tears from her eyes as she tried to calm down.

"Ages," he repeated, a wide, somewhat intoxicating smile on his face.

"Surely you have," she waved him off as she joined him by the console. He was flipping a few levers, sending them away from their adventure. "You and Rose have a blast together."

"I suppose we do, yeah," he offered her a small smile as she leaned against the control panel.

Zana watched as he looked at the monitor in front of him and bit her lip slightly. The smile on his lips had disappeared almost immediately, something that she noticed happened quite often with the Time Lord. She was starting to think he was just one giant façade, and that the man she thought she knew wasn't really him at all, but merely the creation of someone who had suffered far too much. A sigh left her lips as her eyes fell to the floor. She'd been traveling with the Doctor and Rose for a good three and a half months, and yet he was just as much a mystery as the day they met. Every answer just brought forth new questions.

"You should be exhausted, Zan," the Doctor's voice made her look up. She looked over his face and quickly concluded that he needed sleep just as much as she did.

"You too, Doctor," she replied, folding her arms. "When was the last time you've slept?"

He shrugged his shoulder slightly, "I don't remember."

"You don't remember the last time you've slept?" She frowned. "That doesn't sound good. Maybe you need to rest for the day, Doctor."

"Rose is about to wake up," he argued weakly. "She'll want to go somewhere."

"Rose will understand. Well, she should," Zana reached out and took his hand into hers. It had become a reflex, in a way. "Come on. Let's go to bed, Doctor."

He raised an eyebrow and looked down at their joined hands, his cheeks had gone a light shade of pink. He wasn't sure if he completely understood what she was saying. "Um, Zan-"

Zana didn't bother to listen to him, having just figured he was going to say how he wasn't sleepy. "Where's your room? Do you even have a room? I imagine you just doze off wherever you can."

"Just down the corridor, first right, another right, and then the third door on your left," he murmured, his voice unusually low. She didn't seem to take notice. She was just focused on finding the Time Lord's bedroom.

"I can't believe you don't remember the last time you've slept," she muttered, glancing back at him. His eyes seemed to be locked on the floor below them, but somehow she still noticed the peculiar red tint of his cheeks. "Doctor? You alright?"

"I'm fine," he answered just a bit too quickly for Zana to believe him.

"Mhmm, I'm sure," she replied, her voice laced with sarcasm as his room came into sight. She beamed, picking up her pace as she practically dragged him towards the door. Once they were in front of it, she turned to face him, but his gaze was still fixed on the floor. "Doctor, we're at your room."

He cleared his throat as he looked up, the blush that had been on his cheeks now gone, "Right."

She gave him a small smile before releasing his hand, "Well, goodnight, Doctor. Sleep tight."

He seemed taken back by that, and just as he went to say something, his mouth snapped shut.

"Alri- Oh, what's the point in asking? You never answer," she waved him off. "Anyway, I'll be in my room if you need me. Which you hopefully won't. But if you do, hopefully, it's not until you wake up. Which hopefully won't be for a while," she chuckled softly. "Look at me, rambling, when you should be getting to bed."

He gave her a small, almost forced smile, "Goodnight, Zan."

With that, he stepped past her and hurried into his room. Zana stared at his door, confused, before turning and making her way to her room. Had she upset him? Surely not, she just wanted him to rest, but who knew what was running through his head. He was such a complex man, it wouldn't surprise her if even he didn't know what he was thinking about the majority of the time.

"Zana?" Rose's familiar cockney accent filled the empty corridor, making the brunette turn to see her friend stepping out of her room, looking as though she just woke up.

"Morning, Rose," Zana replied with a smile, her voice soft. "Sleep well?"

"Hardly slept," she muttered. "I just couldn't fall asleep."

"Neither could I," Zana chuckled, leaning against her door frame. "I've been awake a good portion of the night. The Doctor just went to bed as well, so it seems we've got to entertain ourselves."

"You need to get some sleep, Zana," she gave her a look. "How can you go all day and night without sleeping?"

Zana groaned and leaned her head back, "I'm not tired."

"You're such a liar!" Rose chuckled, shaking her head. "Go on to bed, Zana. I'll be fine."

"I don't doubt that..." she sighed, looking down at her shoes. She was extremely tired, but every time she laid down, she couldn't help but think of her dreams. They were alarming, to say the least. In the beginning, they didn't seem to faze her, but now? She had to tell someone. "It's just...every time I go to sleep, I have these dreams..."

Rose frowned slightly, stepping closer to her brunette friend. "What, like nightmares or something?"

"No, not nightmares," the teenager shook her head. "They're just...unnerving, is all."

"I'm sure they're nothing to worry about, Zana," Rose assured softly, resting a hand on her arm.

Zana gave the blonde a smile as she crossed her arms, holding them close to her chest. "Thanks, Rose...I suppose I'll go to bed. After all, I just made the Doctor go to bed as well. He told me he couldn't even remember the last time he slept."

The blonde sighed and shook her head, "What are we going to do with him, Zana?"

"What we can do," Zana murmured. "Be there for him."

"Yeah," she smiled a wide smile, her tongue poking through her teeth cheekily.

Zana chuckled, knowing exactly what her mind had wandered to. Rose's crush on the Time Lord seemed to grow every day, and she was surprised the Doctor hadn't picked up on it. It was blatantly obvious, after all. "Just snog him already, Rose."

"I'm working on it!" She defended before laughing along with the brunette, her cheeks flushed.

"Doesn't seem like it!"

"Oh, shut up!" Rose nudged her shoulder. "Anyway, you should be getting to bed. Goodnight, Zana."

"Yeah, yeah," Zana gave her a small smile before opening her bedroom door. "Night, Rose."

Rose waved before turning and making her way towards the kitchen. Zana stepped into her room, the lights instantly illuminating it as she closed the door behind her. She took her time changing into her pajamas, barely keeping her eyes open as she laid down on her bed. Once she was under the covers, her mind started wandering, but this time it was the Doctor that occupied her thoughts, not those blasted dreams that seemed to be haunting her, but she wasn't complaining.

The Doctor was so much better to think about, she decided, as she slowly fell asleep.

*****

A/N: Guysss...School sucks so much (Like this chapter). Sorry for the slow updates. :/


	15. The Impossible Planet

"Where's the milk? Why are we always out of milk?" Zana groaned tiredly as she looked through the refrigerator. She had woken up only minutes earlier with a craving for cereal, but of course, the TARDIS was void of any milk. A frustrated huff left her lips as she grabbed a banana off the counter, sitting down at the table. "I swear, if we can keep hundreds of bananas, we should be able to keep a carton of milk. It's not that hard."

"Who are you talking to?" Rose walked in, already dressed for the day in a pink jacket and jeans. As always, her make-up was nicely done, complimenting her blonde locks. "Did you just wake up?"

"No," Zana replied, her tone serious as she took another bite of her banana.

"Right," Rose chuckled, sitting across from the teen just as the Doctor walked in, a joyous hop in his step. Zana gave him an annoyed look when he grabbed a banana and sat next to her, flashing a wide smile.

"What?" He raised an eyebrow, his smile still very evident. "Sleep well, Zana?"

"It's you, isn't it?" She questioned, narrowing her eyes at him. It had to be him!

"Sorry, what?" His grin fell as he glanced at Rose, who was only watching with an amused smile.

"You're the one who uses all the bloody milk and doesn't bother replacing it," Zana finished the rest of her banana with a huff. "It's really not that hard, you know, to just go get some more."

"Zana, you used the last of the milk a couple of days ago," he informed, his nerves calming slightly. He wasn't sure just what she was going on about."I know that because you had also used the last banana in your cereal."

The brunette raised an eyebrow, her mind going back a few days previous. When she realized he was right, she grumbled and stood up. "Right. I knew that."

"I'm sure you did, Zan."

"I did."

"Mhmm," he nodded.

"What? I did!"

"I'm not doubting you."

She gave him a look as Rose started laughing, "This is definitely entertaining!"

"Uh-huh," Zana muttered. "I'm going to get dressed. Don't leave without me."

"Wouldn't dream of it!" The Doctor called as she walked out into the brightly lit corridor, towards her bedroom.

~*~*~*~*~

Zana walked into the console room, her morning grumpiness replaced with a small smile. She was clad in dark, almost black jeans and a dark green knitted jumper, which were the first things she saw when she looked in her closet. She noticed Rose sitting on the captain's chair, her mobile pressed to her ear as she bid goodbye to her mother, and the Doctor returned her smile with a warm smile of his own, which admittedly made the brunette blush slightly.

"Have any idea where we're going today?" She decided to ask, busying herself by pulling her hair back in her usual ponytail. "Or are we just closing our eyes and hoping, as usual?"

"Sounds like a good idea!" The Doctor replied in his usual upbeat manner before yanking down on a lever. Zana was quick to grab onto the railing as the TARDIS started to shake and jolt through what the Doctor had called the Time Vortex. Rose let out an unexpected shout as she gripped onto the worn seat she was sitting in, making Zana and the Doctor laugh, but that soon faded once the sound of the ancient ship's engines reached their ears. The TARDIS sounded like it was struggling to land, but it eventually did. The Doctor and Rose were quick to rush outside, and Zana was just as quick to follow them.

"I don't know what's wrong," the Doctor murmured, resting his hand on the wooden door of his beloved ship. "She's sort of queasy. Indigestion, like she didn't want to land."

Rose looked at him with mock worry, "Oh, if you think there's going to be trouble, we could always get back inside and go somewhere else..."

Zana jumped slightly at their sudden outburst of laughs, but soon she was laughing as well. As she had found out back on New Earth, the Doctor's laugh was contagious.

"I think we've landed inside a cupboard," the Doctor informed once the trio had calmed. "Here we go."

Zana trailed close behind her fellow time travelers, the sound of howling wind becoming louder and louder as the Doctor opened an old, yellow door.

"Open door 15," an automated voice filled the air.

"Some sort of base. Moon base, sea base, space base. They build these things out of kits," the Time Lord rambled as Rose held the door open for her two friends before letting it close.

"Close door 15."

"Glad we're indoors. Sounds like a storm out there," Rose muttered, glancing towards the ceiling.

Zana nodded in agreement as they continued walking.

"Open door 16."

"Human design. You've got a thing about kits. This place was put together like a flat-pack wardrobe, only bigger. And easier," the Doctor continued as they walked down a small corridor, which lead to another door.

"Open door 17."

"Oh, it's a sanctuary base!" The Doctor informed as we stepped into a room, which was filled with a few tables and chairs, essentially a dining room. Zana looked around as the door closed behind her.

"Close door 17."

"Deep Space exploration. We've gone way out. And listen to that, underneath," he got quiet for a moment as motioned for them to listen to the strange noise. "Someone's drilling."

"Welcome to hell," Zana murmured, her eyes having landed on the odd writing almost as soon as she had walked in.

"Oh, it's not that bad!" The Doctor waved her off.

She gave him a look but chuckled nonetheless. "No, over there."

"Hold on, what does that say?" He frowned as he stepped towards the odd writing "That's weird, it won't translate."

"But I thought the TARDIS translated everything, writing as well," Rose gave him a confused look as Zana bent down to study the unusual script. She had to admit, it looked oddly familiar, but she couldn't place it. "We should see English."

"Exactly. If that's not working, then it means this writing is old. Very old. Impossibly old." With that, he stood up and started turning the wheel on the next door. "We should find out who's in charge. We've gone beyond the reach of the TARDIS's knowledge. Not a good move. And if someone's lucky enough-"

"Open door 19."

Zana let out a surprised shout at the sight before them, along with Rose and the Doctor. Before them stood a group of aliens, which Zana didn't recognize. They had tentacles where their mouths should have been, and in their hands was a small orb, which seemed to be connected to them, again, where their mouths should have been.

"Oh! Right. Hello. Sorry. I was just saying, er, nice base," the Doctor smiled awkwardly.

"We must feed," they replied in unison, the orbs in their hands lighting up with each word.

"You've got to what?" He frowned as Zana stepped back slightly. This couldn't be good.

"We must feed."

"Yeah. I think they mean us!" Rose exclaimed as the aliens started stepping towards the trio. Zana reached forward, following Rose's example and grabbing a chair as more and more of the odd creatures stepped towards them, their voices monotone.

"We must feed. We must feed. We must feed. We must feed."

The Doctor held up his sonic screwdriver in defense as Rose and Zana shakily held the chairs in front of them.

"We must feed. We must feed. We must feed. We must feed. We must feed. We must feed. We must feed. We must feed. We must feed. We must feed-" one of the aliens, who was right in front of the trio tapped on the orb in his hand. "You, if you are hungry."

The Doctor blinked, "Sorry?"

"We apologize. Electromagnetics has interfered with speech systems. Would you like some refreshment?"

"What?" Zana breathed as she lowered the chair to the ground.

"Open door 18."

Zana, Rose, and the Doctor looked up as a group of humans, all three clad in black jackets, rushed into the room, a look of bewilderment on their faces.

"What the hell? How did...?" The oldest of the three breathed before speaking into the device on his wrist. "Captain, you're not going to believe this. We've got people. Out of nowhere. I mean, real people. I mean three living people, just standing here right in front of me.

"Don't be stupid, that's impossible!" A voice replied.

"I suggest telling them that!"

"You're a space base," Zana frowned, folding her arms across her chest. "Surely you get visitors every once and a while?"

"You're telling me you don't know where you are?" The man frowned.

"No idea. More fun that way!" The Doctor grinned.

"Stand by, everyone. Buckle down. We have incoming!" A woman's voice filled the air. "And it's a big one. Quake point five on its way!"

The older man quickly turned and opened the door, "Through here, now. Quickly, come on! Move!" Everyone was quick to follow him down another small corridor as an alarm started to blare. "Move it! Come on! Keep moving. Come on! Quickly! Move it!"

Soon they were running into the control room of the base, which was occupied with people bustling about, preparing for the quake, Zana guessed.

"Oh, my God. You meant it!" A man, who Zana was assuming was the captain, exclaimed as his eyes landed on the three time travelers.

"People!" A brunette woman breathed. "Look at that, real people!"

"That's us. Hooray!" The Doctor jumped slightly as Zana waved.

"Yeah, definitely real. My name's Rose. Rose Tyler, that's Zana Kline, and, and this is the Doctor," Rose informed with a polite smile.

"Come on the oxygen must be offline. We're hallucinating. They can't be!" A younger man stepped up to Zana and poked her shoulder. "No, they're real."

"Come on, we're in the middle of an alert!" The captain reminded with annoyance in his tone. "Danny, strap up. The quake's coming in! Impact in thirty seconds! Sorry, you three, whoever you are. Just hold on, tight."

"Hold on to what?" Rose frowned.

"Anything. I don't care. Just hold on. Ood, are we fixed?"

The Doctor led his companions to a railing and the three of them took hold of it, gripping it tightly.

"Your kindness in this emergency is much appreciated," one of the creatures from before nodded.

"What's this planet called, anyway?" The Doctor asked as he looked around.

"Now, don't be stupid. It hasn't got a name. How could it have a name?" When the Doctor didn't answer the woman, she frowned. "You really don't know, do you?"

"And impact!" The captain exclaimed, followed by a few seconds of rough shaking, which had sent Zana and Rose onto the steps below them. Zana gripped tightly onto the railing as it calmed, but the Doctor simply stood from his place. Which, of course, wasn't a good idea.

"Oh, well, that wasn't so bad."

As soon as the words left his mouth, the base started shaking again, only ten times worse than before. One of the control panels burst into flames, and Zana swore under her breath when her ribs made contact with the metal step below her. She squeezed her eyes shut, holding on as tight as she could despite the pain until the shaking ceased. The crew of the base instantly started working on returning things to normal, extinguishing the fire, and fixing the controls.

"Okay, that's it," the captain informed once everything had calmed down. "Everyone all right? Speak to me, Ida."

"Yeah, yeah!" The woman in question replied.

"Danny?"

The man who had poked Zana nodded, "Fine."

"Toby?"

Yeah, fine."

"Scooti?"

"No damage.

"Jefferson?"

"Check!"

"We're fine, thanks, fine," the Doctor called as Rose and Zana sat up. Zana pressed her hand against her right side, hissing softly at the dull ache as she sat down beside Rose on the steps. "Yeah, don't worry about us."

"The surface caved in," the captain studied the computer in front of him. "I deflected it onto storage five through eight. We've lost them completely. Toby, go and check the rocket link."

"That's not my department," Toby frowned.

"Just do as I say, yeah?"

Toby sighed, but stood up and left the room, just as he was told.

"Oxygen holding. Internal gravity fifty-six point six. We should be okay," Ida gave the captain a smile.

"Never mind the earthquake, that's, that's one hell of a storm!" Rose breathed. "What is that, a hurricane?"

"You'd need an atmosphere for a hurricane," Scooti said simply. "There's no air out there. It's a complete vacuum."

"Then what's shaking the roof?" Rose raised an eyebrow.

"You're not joking. You really don't know. Well, introductions. F.Y.I, as they said in the olden days. I'm Ida Scott, science officer," she introduced. "Zachary Cross Flane, acting Captain, sir. You've met Mister Jefferson, he's Head of Security. Danny Bartock, Ethics committee."

"Not as boring as it sounds," Danny assured. Zana flashed him a small smile when he looked at her.

"And that man who just left, that was Toby Zed, Archaeology, and this is Scooti Manista, Trainee maintenance. And this? This is home," Ida yanked down on a leaver.

"Brace yourselves. The sight of it sends some people mad," Zachary warned the three newcomers as the overhead shutters retreated, revealing the impossible. The Doctor and Rose instantly stood up, their eyes widening at the sight above while Zana stayed where she was, too shocked to move.

"That's a black hole," Zana breathed, her eyes glued on the sight before her.

"But that's impossible..." The Doctor murmured.

"I did warn you," Zachary said simply.

"We're standing under a black hole."

"In orbit," Ida added.

"But we can't be."

"You can see for yourself. We're in orbit."

"But we can't be!" He repeated.

"This lump of rock is suspended in perpetual geostationary orbit around that black hole without falling in. Discuss."

"And that's bad, yeah?" Rose spoke up softly, looking up at the Doctor as Zana gulped. Her bruised ribs seemed so small compared to the situation they had been thrown in. How could they even be here?

"Bad doesn't cover it. A black hole's a dead star. It collapses in on itself, in and in and in until the matter's so dense and tight it starts to pull everything else in too," the Doctor explained to her, his eyes glued on the dead star above them.

"Nothing can escape it," Zana added, chewing nervously on her bottom lip as she managed to tear her gaze away from the mass to look at her friend. "Not even light, gravity, or time, definitely not a planet. So we shouldn't be here...we should be pulled right in."

"We should be dead," the Doctor added grimly.

"And yet here we are, beyond the laws of physics," Ida gave the three a warm, almost sarcastic smile. "Welcome on board."

"But if there's no atmosphere out there, what's that?" Rose nodded towards the red clouds that were passing above them, a confused look on her features.

"Stars breaking up," Ida replied simply. "Gas clouds. We have whole solar systems being ripped apart above our heads, before falling into that thing."

"So, a bit worse than a storm, then," Rose nodded with a gulp.

"Just a bit."

"Just a bit, yeah," Zana let out a breath of air as she decided to stand. Ignoring the pain that shot through her side, she made her way over to the Doctor, just as another small shake shook the base. The Doctor instantly reached out and grabbed the brunette's arm to keep her from falling. "Thanks, Doctor," she smiled softly at him.

"You alright?" He murmured.

"I'm fine, yeah."

"Close door 1."

"The rocket link's fine," Toby informed as he walked back into the room, his eyes glancing around worriedly. Zana gave him a short smile as his gaze met hers, but soon she was staring at the projection of the black hole the captain had pulled up. Everyone gathered around the center control panel as the lights dimmed, allowing them to see the image better.

"That's the black hole, officially designated K three seven Gen five," Zach informed.

"In the scriptures of the Falltino, this planet is called Kroptor, the bitter pill," Ida told the group, a look of wonder in her eyes. "And the black hole is supposed to be a mighty demon. It was tricked into devouring the planet, only to spit it out, because it was poison."

"The bitter pill," Rose grinned at the Doctor and Zana. "I like that."

"We are so far out," the Doctor murmured as Zana leaned forward onto the control panel, trying to get a better look at the projection. "Lost in the drifts of the universe. How did you even get here?"

"We flew in. You see, this planet's generating a gravity field," Zach pointed at a red animation of the gravity field, which resembled a large, swirly funnel. "We don't know how. We've no idea. But it's kept in constant balance against the black hole. And the field extends out there as a funnel. A distinct gravity funnel, reaching out into clear space. That was our way in."

"You flew down that thing? Like a rollercoaster," Rose mused, a small smile on her lips.

"By rights, the ship should have been torn apart," he looked down, his voice growing somber. "We lost the Captain, which is what put me in charge."

"You're doing a good job," Ida assured, resting a hand on his shoulder.

"Yeah, well, needs must."

"But if that gravity funnel closes, there's no way out," Danny spoke up, his voice laced with amusement.

"We had fun speculating about that," Scooti chuckled slightly from her place at her computer.

"Oh, yeah. That's the word. Fun."

"But that field would take phenomenal amounts of power. I mean not just big, but off the scale!" The Doctor shook his head before looking at Ida. "Can I?"

"Sure," Ida nodded, handing him what Zana assumed was an advanced calculator. "Help yourself."

Zana leaned over the Doctor's shoulder, watching as he typed in numbers at an almost incomprehensible speed. There was no way he was coming up with those numbers that quickly...but who knew, maybe he was. Sometimes she forgot that he was, after all, a whole different species than she.

"Your refreshment, ma'am," one of the aliens from before stepped up to the teen, making her jump in surprise.

"Oh, thank you," she smiled politely as she took the cup from his hand. "I'm sorry, I didn't catch your name."

"We have no titles. We are one," the creature informed.

"You are as one? Like...a hive mind? Is that what you mean?" She frowned, taking a sip of her drink. "So all of you are...connected?"

"That is what hive mind means," the Doctor murmured without taking his eyes off his calculations.

"Yes, thank you," she gave him a look.

He gave her a cheeky smile before tossing the calculator onto the control panel, turning everyone's attention towards him. "There we go. Do you see? To generate that gravity field, and the funnel, you'd need a power source with an inverted self extrapolating reflex of six to the power of six every six seconds."

"That's a lot of sixes," Rose wandered aloud as she moved to stand next to Zana.

"And it's impossible."

"It took us two years to work that out," Zach frowned as he eyed the Doctor curiously.

The Doctor bit back a smirk, "I'm very good."

"But that's why we're here," Ida spoke up, turning Zana's attention to the woman. "This power source is ten miles below through solid rock. Point Zero. We're drilling down to try and find it."

"It's giving off readings of over ninety stats on the Blazon scale," Zach informed.

"It could revolutionize modern science!"

"We could use it to fuel the Empire," Jefferson added hopefully.

"Or start a war," the Doctor said pointedly as he pulled off his glasses and slid them into his pocket. Zana frowned slightly. It's always the worst-case scenario with him, isn't it?

"It's buried beneath us, in the darkness, waiting," Toby spoke up softly, his voice seemed distant as he stared off into space.

"What's your job, chief dramatist?" Rose glanced over at him with an amused smirk, making the Doctor and Zana bit back a laugh.

Toby merely rolled his eyes, "Well, whatever it is down there is not a natural phenomenon. And this, er, planet once supported life eons ago, before the human race had even learned to walk."

"I saw that lettering written on the wall. Did you do that?" The Doctor asked him as Zana stood up straight and pressed her hand to her bruised rib. It was starting to throb, which irked her. She hated that feeling.

"I copied it from fragments we found unearthed by the drilling, but I can't translate it," Toby sighed.

"No, neither can I," the Time Lord shook his head. "And that's saying something."

Zana rolled her eyes, "It looks familiar to me, but I can't place it. It seems like some sort of...religious text. Don't you think, Doctor?"

"Perhaps..." he nodded, sparing her a glance. "I highly doubt it though. How could it be? Even if it was, it's certainly nothing a human can recognize."

She sighed. He did have a point.

"There was some form of civilization," Toby informed, causing them to look at him again. "They buried something. Now it's reaching out, calling us in."

The most fantastic smile covered the Doctor's features, which for some reason made Zana smile as well. "And you came!"

"Well, how could we not?" Ida had a smile of her own.

"So, when it comes right down to it, why did you come here? Why did you do that? Why?" In typical Doctor fashion, he gave absolutely no one time to answer. "I'll tell you why. Because it was there. Brilliant. Excuse me, er, Zach, wasn't it? "

"That's me," the man in question nodded.

"Just stand there, because I'm going to...hug you. Is that all right? "

Zach smiled softly, "I suppose so. "

"Here we go. Come on, then," he stepped forward and pulled the captain into a tight embrace, making everyone smile. Who knew when the last time this crew had been this laid back. The Doctor certainly made things lighthearted...at times. "Oh, human beings. You are amazing! Ha! Thank you."

"Not at all," Zach chuckled.

"But apart from that, you're completely mad. You should pack your bags, get back in that ship and fly for your lives," the Doctor's mood seemed to dampen slightly. Zana internally groaned. She will never get used to this man's bipolar tendencies, which is saying something, considering she's bipolar herself.

"You can talk," Ida scoffed. "And how the hell did you get here?"

"Oh, I've got this er, this ship. It's hard to explain," he scratched the back of his head. "It just sort of...appears."

"We can show you, we parked down the corridor from um..." Rose bit her lip as she thought, making Zana smile. "Oh, what's it called? Habitation area-"

"Three!" the Doctor exclaimed as he remembered.

"Three! She nodded in agreement. "Three."

Zach turned somber instantly, "Do you mean storage six?"

"It was a bit of a cupboard, yeah. Storage six. But you said...you said...you said storage five to eight!" and with that, he turned, nearly knocking Zana to the ground as he dashed out of the room.

"What is it? What's wrong?" Rose shouted as she followed after him.

Zana didn't need to follow them to work out what had happened. She didn't want to. She didn't think she could stand seeing the Doctor's distress. His TARDIS...it was gone, literally swallowed by the planet they were standing on, and not only was it the one thing the Doctor had, but it was the one thing that was able to take her back to her own time, her own planet.

"Oh my..." Ida breathed, resting a hand on the brunette's shoulder. "I'm so sorry..."

Zana shook her head and swallowed hard, "It's all he had..."

~*~*~*~*~

"The ground gave way. My TARDIS must've fallen down right into the heart of the planet," the Doctor explained, for the fourth time, as Zach looked on in dismay. Zana could tell the captain felt sorry for the three newcomers, but she also knew there was nothing he could do. "But you've got robot drills heading the same way."

"We can't divert the drilling," Zach sighed and shook his head.

"But I need my ship! It's all I've got...literally the only thing..." the Doctor's voice nearly broke and the tears in his eyes made Zana's heart ache. 

"Doctor, we've only got the resources to drill one central shaft down to the power source, and that's it. No diversions, no distractions, no exceptions. Your machine is lost. All I can do is offer you a lift if we ever get to leave this place, and that is the end of it," Zach gave the Doctor and Rose a sad smile before walking past them. He placed a hand on Zana's shoulder as he walked by, and for a moment she thought he was going to say something to her, but he just smiled at her and kept walking.

"I'll um, put you lot on the duty roster," Ida tried, but miserably failed, at sounding optimistic. "We need someone in the laundry."

"Open door 1," the automated voice called out as Ida left the three alone in the control room. "Close door 1."

"I've trapped you here," Zana could faintly hear the Doctor say to Rose as she leaned her head against the metal railing. She was sitting on the same step that had bruised her ribs not even an hour before, fighting the urge to cry, and that only made her angry. There was the Doctor and Rose, staying strong, clinging each other, while she sat alone, on the verge of tears. She watched as the Doctor held his precious Rose close to him in a tight embrace, and the only thing she could think of was that she wished she had met him sooner, that she had met him long before Rose did. It was wrong, she knew, on so many different levels. They were literally stuck, with no possible chance of going home, and all she wanted was to be the one the Doctor was holding.

She had never felt lonelier.

~*~*~*~*~

The catering area of the base was just as drag and depressing as the control room was, which, of course, didn't help Zana's mood at all. She was currently sitting at a table far away from the others in the hopes that they'd get the hint that she wanted to be left alone. After all, being alone is what she did best.

But the Doctor didn't care.

"I'm sorry," he apologized the moment he sat down in front of her, which for some reason annoyed her. "I'm so, so sorry."

"I know," she sighed, avoiding his emotion-filled gaze. "I don't blame you, Doctor. It's not your fault."

"I brought you here."

"I chose to travel with you, Doctor. Even if I didn't fully know what I was signing myself up for at the time, I chose nonetheless. If anything, I got myself stuck here."

A sigh escaped his lips and seconds later Zana felt his fingers lace through hers, "I told Rose to bring back ice for your side."

Zana looked up at him and frowned, "How did you know?"

"What kind of doctor would I be if I didn't know?" He smiled softly just as Rose walked over and sat down beside the teen.

"How you feeling, Zana?" Rose gave her a warm smile as she handed her an ice pack.

"Surprisingly okay," she tried to return the smile as she gently pressed the ice pack to her injured rib. A sharp pain shot through her, but she just clenched her teeth together as the lights flickered. It seemed to be a usual occurrence.

"Zach?" Ida called to the captain through her communicator. "Have we got a problem?"

"No more than usual," Zach's faint response was barely heard by the trio. "Got the Scarlet System burning up. Might be worth a look."

Ida turned to the three time travelers, "You might want to see this. Moment in history." She stepped up to a small control panel on the wall and above them, the shudders covering the ceiling opened up to reveal the sky above. Zana gasped softly, along with Rose as their eyes widened. "There. On the edge. That red cloud? That used to be the Scarlet System. Home to the Peluchi, a mighty civilization spanning a billion years, disappearing forever. Their planets and suns consumed. Ladies and gentlemen...we have witnessed its passing."

"Um, no, could you leave it open?" The Doctor asked softly as Ida moved to close the shudders, "Just for a bit. I won't go mad, I promise."

"How would you know?" She asked softly, with which he simply replied with a knowing smile. "Scooti, check the lockdown. Jefferson, sign off the airlock seals for me."

Jefferson and Scooti nodded and quickly set to work. Soon, Ida followed them out of the dining area as well, leaving the three alone.

"I've seen films and things, yeah," Rose spoke up, supporting her head on her hands. "They say black holes are like gateways to another universe."

"Not that one," the Doctor muttered absently. "It just eats."

"Long way from home..." Rose sighed.

"Go that way, turn right, keep going for um, about, um...five hundred years, and you'll reach the Earth," the Doctor informed, his eyes glued on the sight above them.

Rose grabbed her mobile out of her jacket pocket and turned it on, but to no prevail. "No signal. That's the first time we've gone out of range...Mind you, even if I could. What would I tell her? ...can you build another TARDIS?"

"They were grown, not built," the Time Lord exhaled deeply. "And with my own planet gone, we're kind of stuck."

"Maybe not for long," Zana spoke up, pulling the melting ice pack from her side and setting it on the table. "Zach said they'd give us a lift when they were finished here."

"And then what?" The Doctor looked over at her.

"I-I mean, I don't know..."

"We could find a planet, get a job, live a life, same as the rest of the universe," Rose shrugged.

"I'd have to settle down...Get a house or something. A proper house with, with doors and things!" The Doctor exclaimed, obviously very put off by the whole idea, but his two companions merely smiled. "Carpets! Me, living in a house! Now that, that is terrifying!"

"You'd have to get a mortgage!" Rose added with a joyous laugh.

His eyes widened, "No."

She nodded, "Oh, yes."

He shook his head, "I'm dying. That's it. I'm dying. It is all over."

"What about me? I'd have to get one, too. I don't know, could be the same one..." Rose tugged at her ear as she cleared her throat. "We could both, I don't know, share. Or not, you know. Whatever. I don't know. We'll sort something out-"

"Anyway," the Doctor interrupted while Zana visibly cringed. Surely there were smoother ways to do that.

"We'll see," Rose chuckled nervously.

"I promised Jackie I'd always take you back home..." The Doctor's eyes filled with sorrow as he looked at Zana. "And your parents..."

"They don't even know where I am..." Zana realized, worry filling her. "They won't even have the slightest idea where I am...oh, my..."

He quickly took her hand again, "Oh, Zan..."

She blinked back tears and shook her head. She never even told her parents that she had started traveling with the Doctor and Rose, and now, she never could. "It's okay...I'm fine..."

Rose wrapped an arm around her shoulders and pulled her into an embrace, "We'll look after you, Zana. I promise."

Zana knew that that meant to sound kind, and she appreciated it more than anything at that moment, but she felt...degraded. Like Rose saw her simply as someone she had to teach, to mentor, and not as her equal. But that was daft of her to think. She knew fully well that Rose saw her as a friend, a best friend, she'd dare say. It was her bloody emotions getting in the way again. That was one of her faults, she had figured out long ago that she was more emotional than she left the universe perceive.

Rose's arm pulled away from Zana as her phone started to go off. A curious look formed on all three of their faces, because they all knew that it should be impossible to get a call. Just as Zana went to question her friend, Rose threw her mobile to the ground in fear, which immediately sent the Doctor and Zana into defensive mode.

They should have known something darker was happening here, on this impossible planet. They really should have.

~*~*~*~*~

A/N: I'm back! Hiya! How is everyone? I really, really hope you enjoyed the chapter! Well, I hope you're enjoying the whole book, at that. I tried to get across just how emotional Zana can be in this chapter because I feel that that's one thing about her I haven't really touched on too much. If there's something about Zana you'd wanna see more of, just send it my way. I love to challenge myself! I've fallen in love with Zana, it would seem, and I sincerely hope you are beginning to as well! :D


	16. The Impossible Planet Pt. 2

"Evening," the Doctor's smile was just enough to convince Zana to wear one as well as they hurried down a flight of stairs towards the Ood Habitation.

"Hello, Danny," Zana laid a hand on the man's shoulder for a moment as she looked over the computer screen he was monitoring.

"Only us," Rose added with a bright smile of her own.

"The mysterious trio," Danny turned and gave Zana a soft smile. "How are you, then? Settling in?"

"Yeah," the Doctor waved him off as Zana's attention turned to the Ood below them. The aliens were sitting side by side with their heads down as if they were asleep. "Sorry, straight to business, the Ood how do they communicate? I mean, with each other."

"Oh, just empaths," Danny shrugged. "There's a low-level telepathic field connecting them. Not that that does them much good. They're basically a herd race. Like cattle."

"This telepathic field...Can it pick up messages?"

"Because I was having dinner, and one of the Ood said something, well, odd," Rose informed as she moved closer to the man.

"Hmm," he looked up at her. "An odd Ood."

"And then I got something else on my um...communicator thing."

Danny scoffed, "Oh, be fair. We've got whole star systems burning up around us! There's all sorts of stray transmissions. Probably nothing." When the Doctor didn't look convinced, he sighed. "Look, if there was something wrong, it would show. We monitor the telepathic field. It's the only way to look after them. They're so stupid, they don't even tell us when they're ill."

"Monitor the field," the Doctor stepped up to the computer Danny had been working at. "That's this thing?"

"Yeah," he nodded as Zana moved next to the Time Lord's side. The screen simply said Basic 5. "But like I said, it's low-level telepathy. They only register basic five."

"Oh, how convenient," Zana let out an annoyed groan as the readings began to rise.

Basic 6.

Basic 7.

Basic 8.

"Well, that's not basic five...Ten, twenty," the Doctor turned to look back at Danny. "They've gone up to basic thirty."

"But they can't," Danny frowned.

"Doctor, the Ood!" Rose exclaimed, turning his and Zana's attention to the creatures. They had raised their heads and were staring at the four humans with blank expressions. "What does basic thirty mean?"

"Well, it means that they're shouting, screaming inside their heads," Danny breathed, the worry evident in his voice, but Zana knew he wasn't worried for the Ood themselves, oh no, but rather how this dramatic rise in telepathy could affect him and the rest of his crew.

"Or something's shouting at them," the Doctor corrected.

"But where is it coming from? What is it saying?" Danny turned to Rose, "What did it say to you?"

"Something about the beast in the pit," Rose told him quickly, her eyes locked on the Ood below. 

"What about your communicator? What did that say?"

Rose gulped, "He is awake."

"And you will worship him," the Ood replied in unison.

"What the hell?" Danny's eyes widened.

Goosebumps covered Zana's arms as she gripped into the railing in front of her, "Doctor-"

"He is awake!" The Doctor shouted, ignoring his companion completely as he took hold of the railing as well.

"And you will worship him."

"Worship who?" He demanded, but there was no reply. "Who's talking to you? Who is it?"

Once again, the Ood stayed silent. Without a word, the Doctor, followed by Rose, hurried down the stairs towards them.

"They've never done that before, I'm guessing," Zana tried to ease the uneasiness in the air as she looked over at Danny. There was no way she was going down there with the Ood. They gave her the creeps.

"No, never," Danny shook his head as he watched the Doctor and Rose. "I don't know what's going on."

"We'll figure it out," she gave him an assuring smile. "I hope we do, anyway."

"Me too," he returned the smile.

Just as she went to reply, the base, as it so commonly seemed to do, started to shake.

"Emergency hull breach," the automated voice called overhead as Zana struggled to keep her balance. "Emergency hull breach."

"Which section?" Danny shouted into his communicator, gripping onto Zana's arm in an attempt to keep her standing.

"Everyone, evacuate eleven to thirteen. We've got a breach! The base is open! Repeat, the base is open!" Zach's voice echoed through the base as the Doctor and Rose rushed up the stairs toward Zana and Danny.

"Come on!" The Doctor took off past them, leaving them to follow him up the flight of stairs. He made quick work of opening the door and dashing through it, followed closely by Rose and Danny. Zana was just barely managing to keep up. She could feel the anxiety rising in her chest as she tried blocking out the blaring alarms and the constant shaking of the base, but there was no use. There was no escaping it.

"Come on! Keep moving!" Jefferson's voice called out as they neared section ten, and Zana was so, so grateful when she ran through the door. She immediately grabbed Rose's arm as she tried to control her breathing. And her shaking.

"Hey, hey, Zana..." Rose pulled her into a hug almost instantly. Zana buried her face into her friend's neck as she clung onto her like her life depended on it, and at the moment, Zana truly believed it did. "It's alright, we're safe now. I've got you..."

"Breach sealed," that dreadful automated voice called as everything calmed. "Breach sealed."

"Everyone all right?! What happened? What was it?" The Doctor demanded.

"Oxygen levels normal."

"Hull breach. We were open to the elements," Jefferson breathed, trying to catch his breath, along with everyone else. "Another couple of minutes and we'd have been inspecting that black hole at close quarters."

"That wasn't a quake," the Doctor spoke quickly. "What caused it?"

"We've lost sections eleven to thirteen," Zach's voice rang through the air. "Everyone all right?"

"We've got everyone here except Scooti," Jefferson informed before speaking into his communicator. "Scooti, report. Scooti Manista? That's an order. Report!"

"She's all right," Zach assured. "I've picked up her biochip. She's in habitation three. Better go and check if she's not responding. She might be unconscious," he laughed breathlessly. "How about that, eh? We survived!"

"Habitation three," Jefferson nodded. "Come on. I don't often say this, but I think we could all do with a drink. Come on."

"Okay?" Rose asked softly as Zana hesitantly pulled back from her.

"Better now," Zana nodded softly as Rose gave her a warm, assuring smile. "Thank you."

"Don't worry about it, love," Rose took her hand and gave it a soft squeeze before turning to the Doctor, who had been watching the interaction worriedly. He gave Zana a smile of his own before turning to the man on the ground beside them, who Zana had just noticed.

"What happened?" He crouched down next to the bewildered Toby as everyone else followed after Jefferson.

"I don't-I don't know. I was working and then I can't remember," Toby shook his head as his words just seemed to fall from his lips. Zana tried to give him a reassuring smile, but how could she do that when she was on the brink of a panic attack herself? "All that noise. The room was falling apart. There was no air-"

"Come on," Rose bent down and helped the man stand. "Up you get. Come and have some protein one."

"Oh, you've gone native," the Doctor teased slightly.

"Oi, don't knock it. It's nice!" She smiled s she lead Toby down the corridor. "Protein one with just a," she clicked her tongue, "dash of three."

Zana pulled her leather jacket off as she walked alongside the Doctor, who unbeknownst to her, had been watching her the whole time. "You are so, so lucky I like you and Rose so much, Doctor."

"I know," he said softly, his tone nothing but serious. "I warned you this would be tough."

"Maybe I should have listened better."

"I've checked Habitation four," Ida spoke into her communicator as the Doctor and Zana walked into Habitation three. "Can you hear me?"

"There's no sign of her. The biochip says she's in the area," Jefferson frowned as he turned to Toby, who had just sit down. "Have any of you seen Scooti?"

Toby shook his head, "No, no, no, I don't think so."

"Scooti, please respond," Ida spoke desperately. "If you can hear this, please respond. Habitation six."

"Nowhere here," Jefferson sighed as he spoke into his won communicator. "Zach? We've got a problem. Scooti's still missing."

"It says Habitation three," Zach informed.

"Yeah, well, that's where I am, and I'm telling you she's not here-"

"I've found her," the Doctor spoke up, making Zana turn to him. She followed his gaze and looked up to see the young crew member floating above them, towards the black hole.

"Oh, no..." Zana gasped shakily.

"Oh, my God..." Rose covered her mouth in shock.

"I'm sorry," the Doctor murmured as Zana gripped onto his arm. "I'm so sorry..."

"Captain," Jefferson spoke somberly. "Report Officer Scootori Manista PKD, deceased. Forty-three K two point one."

"She was twenty. Twenty years old," Ida's voice broke as she stepped forward and closed the shutters. 

"For how should a man die better than facing fearful odds?" Jefferson started reciting what Zana recognized as Horatius. "For the ashes of his father and the temples of his Gods."

The sound of the machinery dying down filled the air, and Zana glanced up at the Doctor.

"It's stopped," Zana murmured as silence fell over the base.

"What was that?" Rose frowned. "What was it?"

"The drill," the Doctor informed quietly.

"We've stopped drilling. We've made it," Ida gulped. "Point Zero."

~*~*~*~*~

"All non-essential Oods to be confined," Zach called over the tannoy as Zana watched him, her mind void of anything. The Doctor had disappeared awhile ago, and that had left her alone and extremely anxious. She had to distract herself, and watching the crew work at the drilling station seemed to do the trick.

"Capsule established," Ida exclaimed as she stepped out of the mineshaft clad in a bright orange spacesuit. "All systems functioning! The mineshaft is go! Bring systems online now."

Zana turned to look for Rose just as the Doctor walked into the room, wearing the same spacesuit as Ida. A frown covered the brunette's lips as she watched him step past her without so much as a glance. Surely...oh, couldn't he at least try not to get himself into trouble?

"Reporting as a volunteer for the expeditionary force," he said to the captain.

"Doctor, this is breaking every single protocol," Zach looked over the Time Lord. "We don't even know who you are."

"Yeah, but you trust me, don't you? And you can't let Ida go down there on her own. Go on...Look me in the eye," the Doctor gave him a smile. "Yes you do, I can see it. Trust."

Zach shook his head, "I should be going down."

"The Captain doesn't lead the mission. He stays here, in charge," the Doctor said knowingly.

"Not much good at it, am I?" Zach sighed as he stepped past the Doctor. "Positions! We're going down in two. Everyone, positions! Mr. Jefferson! I want maximum system enhancement!"

"Oxygen, nitro balance, gravity," the Doctor listed off as his two companions stepped up to him. "It's ages since I wore one of these!

"I want that spacesuit back in one piece, you got that?" Rose spoke softly as she looked over him.

"Yes, sir," he gave her a small smile as he locked in helmet into place.

"It's funny because people back home think that space travel's going to be all whizzing about and teleports and anti-gravity, but it's not, is it?" Rose bit her lip. "It's tough."

Zana looked down at her words. Rose couldn't be more right.

"I'll see you later," the Doctor assured.

"Not if I see you first," Rose smiled widely as she stepped up on her tiptoes to take the Doctor's head into her hands. Zana watched silently as Rose placed a kiss on the front of his helmet.

"Be careful," Zana offered weakly once Rose stepped aside.

"Only if you will," he replied softly.

She couldn't help but smile, "For you? Anything."

His brown eyes seemed to light up, but perhaps it was just the blinking lights of the drilling station, Zana didn't know. All she knew was that it made her chest feel funny. "I'll be back before you know it, Zan."

"Rose and I will be here when you do."

He smiled and gave her hand one last squeeze before stepping into the capsule with Ida. Zana stepped back so she was standing next to Rose as Jefferson secured everything.

"Capsule active," Zach announced as Rose and Zana waved goodbye to the Doctor and Ida. "Counting down in ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one. Release."

The capsule started to descend as Zana stepped back to the comm, making sure to hold it close to her. It was her only way to speak to the Doctor.

"You've gone beyond the oxygen field. You're on your own," Zach informed and Rose grabbed the communicator out of Zana's hands.

"Don't forget to breathe," she reminded the Doctor. "Breathing's good."

"Rose, stay off the comm," Zach ordered.

Rose scoffed, "No chance." A whirring how overwhelmed the comms, followed by a worrying silence. Zana bit her lip. That didn't sound right. "Doctor? Doctor, are you all right?"

"Ida, report to me," Zach spoke up. "Doctor?"

"It's all right. We've made it," the Doctor eventually replied, much to the relief of his two companions. "Getting out of the capsule now."

"What does it look like down there?" Zana asked softly, taking back the comm from Rose.

"It's hard to tell. Some sort of cave. Cavern. It's massive."

"Well, this should help. Gravity Globe," Ida informed and a few moments later they heard her gasp. "That's...that's...My God, that's beautiful!"

"Rose, you can tell Toby we've found his civilization..." the Doctor murmured.

"Oi, Toby. Sounds like you've got plenty of work," Rose smiled.

Toby nodded, "Good, good. Good."

"Concentrate now, people. Keep on the mission," Zach reminded. "Ida, what about the power source?"

"We're close. Energy signature indicates northwest. Are you getting pictures up there?" Ida asked.

"There's too much interference. We're in your hands."

"Well, we've come this far. There's no turning back."

"Oh, did you have to? No turning back?" The Doctor groaned, making Zana chuckle. "That's almost as bad as nothing can possibly go wrong, or this is going to be the best Christmas Walford's ever had."

"Are you finished?" Ida questioned, clearing amused.

"Yeah," the Doctor replied. "Finished."

"Captain, sir," Danny's voice came over the comm. "There's something happening with the Ood."

"What are they doing?" Zach asked.

"They're staring at me. I've told them to stop, but they won't."

"Danny, you're a big boy."

"I think you can take being stared at, but the telepathic field, sir. It's at basic one hundred. I've checked. there isn't any fault. It's definitely one hundred."

"But that's impossible..."

"What's basic one hundred mean?" Rose frowned, as did Zana. If basic 30 was screaming, then...

"They should be dead," Danny informed.

"Basic one hundred's brain death," Jefferson breathed,

"But they're safe," Zach spoke up. "They're not actually moving?"

"No, sir," Danny replied.

"Keep watching them. And you, Jefferson? Keep a guard on the Ood."

Jefferson nodded, "Officer at arms!"

"Yes, sir," one of his guards held up her gun.

"Firing a gun in here would do more harm than good," Zana frowned, folding her arms across her chest. "The bullets will ricochet off the wall."

"I'm firing stock fifteen," Jefferson informed simply. "It only impacts upon organics." He turned to his guards, "Keep watch. Guard them."

His guard turned to the three Ood currently with them, "Yes, sir."

"Is everything all right up there?" The Doctor called.

"Yeah," Zana and Rose answered, both of them not too sure of themselves, which only worried the Doctor more.

"It's fine," Zach assured.

"Great," Danny added.

"We've found something," the Doctor informed after a moment or so. "It looks like metal. Like some sort of seal...I've got a nasty feeling the word might be a trapdoor. Not a good word, trapdoor. Never met a trapdoor I liked."

"The edge is covered with those symbols," Ida added.

"Do you think it opens?" Zach pondered.

"Trapdoors tend to do that," Zana murmured.

"Trapdoor doesn't do it justice," Ida murmured. "It's massive, Zach. About thirty feet in diameter."

Zach sighed, "Any way of opening it?"

"I don't know. I can't see any sort of mechanism."

"I suppose that's the writing," the Doctor murmured. "It'll tell us what to do. The letters that defy translation."

"Toby, did you get anywhere with decoding it?" Zach asked hurriedly.

"Toby, they need to know that lettering," Rose looked back at him. "Does it make any sort of sense?"

"I know what it says," Toby informed.

"Then tell them."

Jefferson frowned, "When did you work that out?"

"It doesn't matter, just tell them!"

Zana's eyes widened as Toby turned to face them. He was covered head to toe in the same writing that had littered the wall in the catering area when they had first arrived at the base, and his eyes were blood red. "These are the words of the Beast! And he has woken! He is the heart that beats in the darkness!" Jefferson and his guard aimed their guns at Toby. "He is the blood that will never cease! And now he will rise!"

"Officer, stand down! Stand down!" Jefferson ordered.

"What is it? What's he done?" The Doctor demanded. "What's happening? Zana, what's going on?"

"Jefferson?" Zach called. "Report. Report!"

"Officer, as Commander of Security, I order you to stand down and be confined," Jefferson exclaimed. "Immediately!"

"He's covered in those symbols, Doctor," Zana spoke into the comm quickly. "He's...He's..."

"Mr. Jefferson." Toby smiled wickedly. "Tell me, sir. Did your wife ever forgive you?"

Jefferson faltered, "I don't know what you mean."

"Let me tell you a secret," he smirked. "She never did."

"Officer, you stand down and be confined!"

"Or what?

"Or under the strictures of Condition Red, I am authorized to shoot you."

"But how many can you kill?" Toby asked with a patronizing smile before the symbols appeared to disintegrate from his body. Zana, Rose, Jefferson, and his guard watched in horror as the symbols floated to the three Ood occupying the room, turning their eyes red and making them snap to attention.

"We are the Legion of the Beast," the Ood exclaimed in unison.

"Rose? Zana? What is it? I'm going back up," the Doctor informed as

"Report. Report!" Zach snapped. "Jefferson, report. Someone, report!"

Only the Ood answered. "The Legion shall be many, and the Legion shall be few."

"It's the Ood," Zana breathed into the comm as she moved closer to Rose.

"Sir, we have contamination in the livestock," Jefferson informed Zach. "They won't listen to us."

"It's-It's like someone's hijacked their telepathic field or something..." Zana continued.

"He has woven himself in the fabric of your life since the dawn of time," the Ood informed. "Some may call him Abaddon. Some may call him Kroptor. Some may call him Satan or Lucifer."

"Captain, it's the Ood!" Danny called. "They're out of control!"

"Or the Bringer of Despair, the Deathless Prince, the Bringer of Night. These are the words that shall set him free."

"Back up to the door!" Jefferson ordered.

"I shall become manifest."

"Move quickly!" He shouted as Rose took Zana's hand, pulling her back.

"I shall walk in might."

"To the door! Get it open!"

"My Legions shall swarm across the worlds."

The base suddenly jolted, nearly sending Zana and Rose to the floor.

"We're moving! The whole thing's moving!" Zach cried. "The planet's moving!"

"I am the sin and the temptation and the desire. I am the pain and the loss and the-"

"Get that door open!" Jefferson ordered.

"We're trying!" Zana snapped back. Her whole body had started to shake, it had seemed, and no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't seem to concentrate. Everything was starting to overwhelm her, and she didn't know how long she could stand it.

"The gravity field. It's going! We're losing orbit! We're going to fall into the black hole!" Zach exclaimed, which only made Zana's hands shake even worse.

"I have been imprisoned for eternity. But no more."

"Door sealed," the automated voice informed.

"Come on!" Rose banged her fist against the steel door as Zana desperately tried to get it open. The three Ood were getting closer and closer, and with every step, Zana's will deteriorated just a little bit more.

"Door sealed."

Zana turned to Rose. She knew that things weren't going to work their favor this time around, so the only thing she could do is take her hand and put her faith in the one thing she believed in.

And she did.

~*~*~*~*~

A/N: Woo-hoo, another chapter done, and also another chapter closer to Doomsday! How exciting! I hope you're still enjoying the book! I didn't get as many comments last time and being the over-analytical person I am, I instantly figured I had done something wrong. So if there's anything you think I can do to make this book any better, don't be afraid to say something! :)


	17. The Satan Pit

"Open fire!"

Rose and Zana squeezed their eyes closed as Jefferson and his guard immediately began shooting at the possessed Ood. Zana felt as though her eardrums were going to burst, but what else was new? This whole day had wreaked havoc on her, physically and mentally. Those bloody Cybermen that seemed to haunt her dreams whenever that voice chose not to seemed so small in comparison. One would think that she would decide right then and there that the traveling wasn't worth it, but the only thing she decided at that moment was that the Doctor and Rose were, and that was irrevocable. 

"We're stabilizing!" The teen could faintly hear Zach cry over the comm as the shots eventually died down. "We've got orbit!"

Rose quickly looked over Zana before hurrying towards the comm, desperate to check on the Doctor as well, "Doctor? Doctor, can you hear me? Doctor, Ida, are you there?"

"Open door 25."

Zana gasped and quickly rushed behind Jefferson as that damned automated voice filled her ears. The two security guards instantly took aim as the door flew open, only to reveal Danny.

"It's me!" Danny breathed, holding his hands up. "But they're coming!"

"Close door 25."

"It's the Ood," he gulped. "They've gone mad!"

"How many of them?" Jefferson asked quickly.

"All of them! All fifty!"

Jefferson stepped forward, shoving Danny out of the way of the door, "Danny, out of the way. Out of the way!"

"But they're armed!" The frightened man tried to explain. "It's the interface device. I don't know how, but they're using it as a weapon!"

"Open door 25."

Jefferson ignored him and Zana instinctively stepped behind Danny as the Ood came into sight. The leading Ood wasted no time pressing its interface device to the poor guard's forehead, sending her to the floor with a horrifying scream.

"No..." Zana's voice cracked as more gunfire rang out, this time Jefferson being the lone gunman. Once the sound of bullets dissipated, she closed her eyes and sighed. What a day.

"Seal door 24!" Jefferson called. "Seal door 23!"

"Jefferson, what's happening there?" Zach's voice made Zana jump.

"I've got very little ammunition, sir. How about you?"

There was a short pause, "All I've got is a bolt gun. With er, all of one bolt. I could take out a grand total of one Ood. Fat lot of good that is!"

"Given the emergency, I recommend strategy nine," Jefferson's voice was filled with nothing but professionalism, which worried the teen. Obviously, this 'strategy nine' was quite serious, and that could mean one of two things. One, they leave the planet, or two, they exterminate the base. Zana didn't really fancy the latter.

"Strategy Nine," Zach repeated in slight disbelief before letting out a sigh. "Agreed. Right, we need to get everyone together. Zana? Rose? What about Ida and the Doctor? Any word?"

"I can't get a reply. Just nothing..." Rose's voice nearly broke. Zana moved towards her and laid a hand on her shoulder in an admittedly bad way to comfort her. "I keep trying, but it's-"

As if on cue, static filled the comm as the Doctor could be heard, "No, sorry, I'm fine! Still here!"

Rose visibly breathed an annoyed breath, "You could've said, you stupid-"

"Oi," Zana muttered as feedback interrupted her.

"Whoa! Careful!" The Doctor exclaimed. "Anyway, it's both of us. Me and Ida. Hello! But the seal opened up. It's gone...All we've got left is this chasm."

"How deep is it?" Zach asked.

"Can't tell. It looks like it goes down forever."

"The pit is open," Zana murmured, the demented voice still ringing in her ears. "That's what that voice said, Doctor..."

"But there's nothing," Zach frowned. "I mean there's nothing coming out?"

"No, no," the Doctor informed. "No sign of the Beast."

"It said Satan," Rose's voice was unusually quiet.

"Come on, Rose. Keep it together," the Doctor tried encouragingly.

"Is there no such thing?" When the Doctor didn't reply, Zana starting chewing on her bottom lip. "Doctor. Doctor, tell me there's no such thing."

"Ida?" Zach eventually spoke up. "I recommend that you withdraw. Immediately.

"But, we've come all this way!" Ida protested loudly. Zana flinched at the sudden cry.

"Okay, that was an order. Withdraw. When that thing opened, the whole planet's shifted. One more inch and we fall into the black hole! So this thing stops right now!"

"But it's not much better up there with the Ood," she argued.

"I'm initiating strategy nine, so I need the two of you back up top immediately, no ar-" There was a loud click, signaling that she had turned her comm off. "Ida. Ida!"

"Just bloody fantastic," Zana sat her hands on top of her head, trying to control her breathing. The last thing she needed was to slip into a panic attack, but the circumstances weren't helping her at all. She was still surprised she somehow managed to stay calm this long. "Rose."

"What is it?" Rose rested her hand on her friend's elbow. "Zan? You alright?"

"Did you know that the human brain is perfectly flawed?" Zana let out a soft laugh as she met Rose's gaze. "It can quite literally make or break a person. So why is mine being so bloody indecisive? It's given me the ability to study and read and absorb knowledge like no tomorrow, yet it's burdened me with...with..."

"Zana..." Rose spoke softly as she reached up and took her hand. She understood better than anyone just what Zana meant. "Hey, everything is going to be okay, I promise. I'm right here. Deep breaths, there you go..."

Zana inhaled deeply and closed her eyes for a moment. She thought of the things that she usually turned to. Her favorite books, her family, her favorite song...but everything was being overshadowed by one person. And guess who it was?

But it worked. Well, it worked enough for her to open her eyes and even out her breathing again, and her chest didn't feel like it was going to explode. So that definitely a plus.

"Better?" Rose asked softly, an assuring smile on her lips.

"A little," Zana nodded, though she couldn't meet her eyes. She felt like she was betraying her friend just thinking about the Time Lord like that. "Thank you, Rose."

"What are friends for?"

Zana laughed softly, albeit a bit nervously as she turned towards the comm.

"Rose, Zana, we're coming back," the Doctor turned his comm back on in that instant, making Rose and Zana look at each other in surprise. A wide smile broke out on both of their faces.

"Best news we've heard all day," Rose replied happily, but her happiness disappeared the moment she noticed the gun aimed at Toby's head. The poor man was sitting on the ground, obviously terrified. "What're you doing?"

"He's infected," Jefferson glared at Toby. "He brought that thing on board. You saw it!

"Are you going to start shooting your own people now, is that what you're going to do?" Rose stepped towards him. "Is it?"

Jefferson eyed her, "If necessary."

Zana stepped forward, her earlier anxieties seemingly gone. She felt back to normal, which she couldn't be more grateful for, and now that she was indeed her usual self, there was no way she was going to keep standing back and letting things just...happen. She needed to get involved.

"Jefferson, you can't shoot him. And if you do happen to attempt to hurt him, you'll have to shoot Rose and me as well," Zana watched as Rose crouched down and wrapped her arm around Toby. "Look at him...whatever had taken over him is gone, you saw it go into the Ood as well as I did."

The security guard sighed, "Any sign of trouble, I'll shoot him."

Zana refused to break eye contact with the man as he walked past her, but once he was out of sight she turned back to Rose, who was trying to comfort the man.

"Are you all right?" She asked softly.

"Yeah," he nodded, visibly shaken, and not too different than how Zana had looked mere moments earlier. "I don't know."

"Can you remember anything?"

"Just, it was so angry. It was fury and rage and death. It was him...It was the devil."

"Come here..." Rose pulled Toby into a tight embrace.

Zana smiled adoringly as she watched her friend calm the obviously terrified man, and she knew that the blonde definitely had a knack for watching out for people. She knew, at that moment, that she was extremely grateful to have a friend like Rose, because no one, and she meant no one, not even Emily, had attempted to calm her down during one of her attacks like that. In Rose, she had found the one thing she had been lacking for oh so long...a friend. A best friend. 

She had found a best friend in Rose Tyler. Who knew?

"Okay, we're in," Ida's voice made Zana turn towards the comm. She made her way over, followed by Rose. "Bring us up."

Jefferson nodded, "Ascension in three, two, one-"

Just as Zana was expecting to hear the sounds of the capsule being pulled up, the entire room went dark. Jefferson immediately gripped his gun, ready to fire at a moment's notice.

"This can't be good..." Zana murmured as she looked around, and just to confirm her statement, the voice, that demented voice from earlier filled the air.

"This is the darkness. This is my domain," the monitor above the comm flashed on to reveal multiple Ood. "You little things that live in the light, clinging to your feeble suns which die in the-"

"That's not the Ood," Zach breathed. "Something's talking through them..."

"...only the darkness remains..."

"This is Captain Zachary Cross Flane of Sanctuary Base Six, representing the Torchwood archive," Zach stated, his tone having gone from worried to authoritative in an instant. "You will identify yourself."

"You know my name."

"What do you want?"

"You will die here. All of you. This planet is your grave."

"It's him. It's him. It's him," Toby murmured to himself. Zana glanced at him for a second, wondering if she should go to him, but then the Doctor started to speak, completely ridding her mind of any idea that meant leaving the comms.

"If you are the Beast, then answer me this. Which one, hmm?" Zana could almost see him raising an eyebrow as he asked the question. "Cos the universe has been busy since you've been gone. There's more religions than there are planets in the sky. The Archiphets, Orkology, Christianity, Pash Pash, New Judaism, San Klah, Church of the Tin Vagabond. Which devil are you?"

"All of them," the voice replied simply.

"What, then you're the truth behind the myth?"

"This one knows me as I know him. The killer of his own kind."

Zana's eyes widened slightly. She knew how that would have hit the Doctor.

"How did you end up on this rock?" He asked, seemingly without a care in the world.

"The Disciples of the Light rose up against me and chained me in the pit for all eternity."

"When was this?"

"Before time."

The Doctor scoffed, "What does that mean?"

"Before time."

"What does before time mean?"

"Before light and time and space and matter. Before the cataclysm. Before this universe was created."

"That's impossible. No life could have existed back then."

"Is that your religion?"

"It's a belief."

"You know nothing. All of you, so small. The Captain, so scared of command," Zana instantly thought of Zach. "The soldier, haunted by the eyes of his wife," then Jefferson. "The scientist, still running from Daddy," her mind flashed to Ida. "The little boy who lied," she glanced at Danny, who looked down guiltily. "The virgin," Toby looked down. "The lost girl, so far away from home," the teen looked over at Rose, who looked just as confused as she did. "The valiant child, who will die in battle so very soon, and the girl whose heart will never be the same afterwards."

"Doctor, what does that mean?" Rose asked instantly.

"Rose, don't listen," the Doctor told her quickly, a bit too quickly for Zana's liking.

"What does it mean?" She repeated.

"You will die and I will live!" The image of the Ood suddenly flashed to show what Zana could only describe as...the devil. It looked exactly like he was portrayed in religious texts, in textbooks, in any sort of painting or drawing of the fallen angel. She gulped, but she stayed surprisingly calm, despite the commotion around her.

"What the hell was that?" Danny demanded.

"I had that thing inside my head!" Toby exclaimed.

"Doctor, what did it mean?" Rose breathed, obviously trying to keep calm.

Danny turned to the security guard, "What do we do? Jefferson?"

"Captain?" Jefferson spoke into his communicator. "What's the situation on strategy nine?"

"Zach, what do we do?"

"The planet, the orbit, the black hole..." Toby murmured. "Everything's true."

"Captain, report!" Jefferson demanded.

"We've lost pictures, Mr. Jefferson," Zach informed.

Rose gulped, "Doctor, how did it know all of-"

"Did anyone get an analy-" Ida tried, only to be cut off by Zach.

"Jefferson-"

The Doctor sighed, "Stop-"

"What did it mean?" Rose demanded.

"Rose, don't worry-" Zana took Rose's free hand, but she was worried about what the beast had said as well. Die in battle? How would that ever happen to Rose?

The loud, shrill sound of feedback filled the air, effectively silencing everyone, much to Zana's relief.

"Everyone just stop!" The Doctor shouted. "You want voices in the dark, then listen to mine. That thing is playing on very basic fears. Darkness, childhood nightmares, all that stuff."

"But that's how the devil works," Danny countered.

"Or a very good psychologist," Zana remarked offhandedly.

Ida huffed, "Yeah, but how did it know about my father?"

"Okay, but what makes his version of the truth any better than mine, hmm?" The Doctor asked. "Cos I'll tell you what I can see. Humans. Brilliant humans. Humans who travel all the way across space, flying in a tiny little rocket right into the orbit of a black hole, just for the sake of discovery!" Zana smiled softly as she glanced at Danny, Jefferson, and Toby. "That's amazing! Do you hear me? Amazing, all of you. The Captain, his Officer, his elders, his juniors, his friends. All with one advantage...The Beast is alone. We are not. If we can use that to fight against him-"

Everyone jumped in surprise at the sound of the cables to the capsule snapping in half. No one even had time to react as the cables plummeted towards the center of the planet.

"Doctor, we lost the cable!" Rose exclaimed into the comm. "Doctor, are you all right? Doctor!"

"Comms are down," Zach sighed.

Of course, that didn't stop Rose. "Doctor? Doctor, can you hear me?"

"I've still got life signs, but we've lost the capsule..."

"Say something. Are you there?"

Zach gulped, "There's no way out...They're stuck down there..."

"But we've got to bring them back!" Rose looked down the dark mineshaft as if she could see the Doctor and Ida staring back up at her.

"They're ten miles down," Jefferson informed softly, his eyes glued as well. "We haven't got another ten miles of cable."

A loud banging emitted from the door, making everyone jump.

"As if things couldn't get worse," Zana murmured.

Jefferson pressed down on his comm immediately, "Captain? Situation report."

Zana started chewing on her bottom lip, waiting on Zach's reply, which took a few moments. "It's the Ood. They're cutting through the door bolts. They're breaking in.

"Yeah, it's the same on door 25," Jefferson murmured, stepping back from the door.

"How long do you think it will take for them to finish the job, Jefferson?" Zana questioned, her eyes locked on the door.

"Well, it's only a basic frame, it should take ten minutes," he paused when another bolt was cut. "Eight."

"I've got a security frame," Zach informed. "It might last a bit longer, but that doesn't help you."

"Are there any other ways out?" Zana murmured. "Because we either get out, or we stop the Ood."

"Or both," Rose added, making Zana nod in approval.

"I'll take both, yeah?" Danny replied, exasperated. "But how?"

"You heard the Doctor. Why do you think that thing cut him off? Cos he was making sense!" Rose exclaimed to Danny, ignoring the banging in the background. "He was telling you to think your way out of this!"

"We can't really do anything if we can't see," Zana interrupted, seeing that her friend was growing irritated. "There must be some sort of generator, something that can fix the power. Jefferson? Zach?"

"There's nothing I can do," Zach's voice was filled with frustration. "Some Captain, stuck in here, pressing buttons."

"Zach," Zana gave him a warm smile despite the fact that he had no way of seeing it. "I think that's what the Doctor was saying. All it takes is the right buttons."

"They've gutted the generators!" He exclaimed, seemingly defeated. "But the rocket's got an independent supply...If I could reroute that. Mr. Jefferson? Open the bypass conduits! Override the safety!"

"Opening bypass conduits, sir."

"Channeling rocket feed in three, two, one. Power!"

And just like that, the lights whirred to life, making Zana laugh out of excitement.

"There we go!" Rose clapped, beaming at the brunette.

"Let there be light!" Danny added cheerfully.

The blond turned to Jefferson, pulling on her bottom lip. Despite the small success of the lights turning on, she was still worried. And rightfully so, Zana thought. "Now what about that strategy nine thing?"

"Not enough power," Jefferson informed. "It needs a hundred percent."

"All right, we need a way out. Zach, Mr. Jefferson, you start working on that," she turned and looked over at Toby, who had been silent during the whole fiasco. "Toby, what about you?

"I'm not a soldier," Toby stood and stepped away from her. "I can't do anything!"

"No, you're the archaeologist," Rose countered, making him turn around. "What do you know about the pit?" 

"Well, nothing! We can't even translate the language!"

"Right," she waved him off and turned to go back to the others.

Toby paused, "Hold on...Maybe."

Zana frowned and stepped forward as well, "What is it, Toby?"

"Since that thing was inside my head, it's like the letters made more sense."

"Well, get to work. Anything you can translate, just anything," she nodded and stepped past Zana, over to Danny. "As for you, Danny boy. You're in charge of the Ood. Any way of stopping them?"

"Well," he started but huffed."I don't know."

"Then find out!" Rose offered encouragingly, pulling him in front of the monitor. "The sooner we get control of the Base, the sooner we can get the Doctor out. Shift."

"Spoken like a true leader," Zana commented as she leaned against the railing. Rose soon joined her, sparing a quick glance in her direction before staring down the mineshaft again. "Is that a side effect of the Doctor? The authoritarian vibe?"

"Not really authoritarian, I would say," Rose nudged her with her hip before turning to make her way back to the others. Zana noticed her flinch as another bolt was cut on the door and sighed.

"Open junctions five, six, seven," Jefferson was saying as she made her way over as well. "Reroute filters sixteen to twenty-four. Go."

"There's all sorts of viruses that could stop the Ood," Danny informed the brunette, annoyed. "Trouble is, we haven't got them on board."

"Well, that's handy, listing all the things we haven't got," Rose replied, having overheard. "We haven't got a swimming pool either. Or a Tesco's!"

Zana chuckled as the screen before then flashed 'AFFIRMATIVE'.

"Oh, my God. It says yes! I can do it!" Danny laughed, turning to face Zana completely now. "Hypothetically, if you flip the monitor, broadcast a flare, it can disrupt the telepathy. Brainstorm!"

Zana smiled at him, "What happens to the Ood?"

"It'll tank them spark out!"

"There we are, then," Rose nodded. "Do it!"

Danny's excitement faded, "No, but I'd have to transmit from the central monitor. We need to go to Ood Habitation."

Another loud bang rang out as the Ood cut the next bolt on the door. Rose simply patted Danny on the back. "That's what we'll do, then." She stepped past him, "Mr. Jefferson, sir. Any way out?"

"Just about," he murmured, busy at work. "There's a network of maintenance tunnels running underneath the base. We should be able to gain access from here."

Rose grinned, "Ventilation shafts."

"Yeah, I appreciate the reference, but there's no ventilation. No air, in fact, at all. They were designed for machines, not life forms."

And yet another bolt.

"But," Zach's voice called. "I can manipulate the oxygen field from here. Create discrete pockets of atmosphere. If I control it manually, I can follow you through the network."

"Right, so we go down, and you make the air follow us...by hand," Rose sounded unsure.

"You wanted me pressing buttons," he replied simply.

"Yeah, I asked for it," she nodded. "Okay, we need to get to Ood Habitation. Work out a route."

Jefferson nodded and quickly made work of opening the grated floor. Sparks erupted from the door as another bolt was cut, which jolted everyone into action. Zana, Toby, and Rose instantly rushed over to the security guard's side, ready to get the hell out of that place.

"Danny! Come on!" Zana exclaimed, beckoning the man over quickly. "We've got to go!"

"Hold on! Just conforming!" He waved her off and continued with his work on the computer.

"Dan, we got to go now!" Jefferson shouted louder than Zana had. "Come on!"

"Yeah!" Danny yanked an orange chip from the computer with a large grin on his face. "Put that in the monitor and it's a bad time to be an Ood."

"We're coming back. Have you got that?" Rose looked at everyone one by one. "We're coming back to this room and we're getting the Doctor out!"

"Okay," Jefferson nodded quickly, shoving Danny towards the tunnels. "Danny, you go first, then you, Miss Tyler, followed by Miss Kline, then Toby. I'll go last in defensive position. Now, come on, quick as you can!"

Danny and Rose made quick work jumping down, and Zana was definitely close behind. She hesitantly looked around the moment she was inside and gulped. Claustrophobia has always been something that she's had, so she had a feeling that this wasn't going to be as fun as it looked in the movies.

"God, it stinks," Rose muttered before glancing at Danny, who Zana noticed looked extremely nervous. Not that she blamed him, so was she. "You all right?"

"Yeah, I'm laughing," he answered sarcastically before speaking into his communicator. "Which way do we go?"

"Just go straight ahead. Keep going till I say so," Zach replied.

With that, Danny started crawling. After only a few feet in, Zana's knees started to ache, and to top it off, her fear of small spaces definitely started kicking in, so she did the only thing she could, really. She planted her eyes on the floor below. If she at least pretended that she wasn't in a not-so-ventilated ventilation shaft and wasn't running from the devil himself and that the Doctor wasn't ten miles beneath this impossible planet's surface, then maybe she could stay in the calm state she was in at the moment.

"Not your best angle, Danny," Rose murmured, and of course Zana couldn't help but chuckle, even though she couldn't see anything but the silver floor below her.

"Oi, stop it!" Danny grumbled.

"I don't know, it could be worse," Zana heard Toby say from behind her and her eyes widened slightly.

"Eyes front, Toby," she murmured, her cheeks having gone a soft shade of pink.

"Straight on until you find junction seven point one. Keep breathing. I'm feeding you air," Zach reminded softly. "I've got you."

Zana could have sworn that they had been crawling for miles but thought it wise not to complain. After all, they were in a life and death situation, and she was scared of crawling through a tunnel. Not the most pressing matter at hand, is it? She certainly didn't think so. Once they eventually came to the

"We're at seven point one, sir."

"Okay, I've got you," Zach murmured. "I'm just aerating the next section."

"Getting kind of cramped, sir," Danny told the captain impatiently. "Can't you hurry up?"

"I'm working on half power, here," he informed with a hint of annoyance.

"Stop complaining!" Jefferson huffed, leaning against the tunnel wall as he tried to catch his breath, which was admittedly hard to do with a low oxygen supply.

Rose turned to the annoyed Danny. "Mr. Jefferson says stop complaining."

Danny gave her a look, "I heard."

Zana decided to join, "Hey, he heard, Rose."

"Oh, alright," she nodded and looked at Jefferson. "He heard."

"But the air's getting a bit thin," Toby murmured into his communicator.

"He's complaining now," Rose turned to the security guard.

Jefferson just closed his eyes, "I heard."

Zana and Rose gave each other a quick, amused smile, but something else caught the blonde's attention.

"Danny, is that you?" Rose turned her head and sniffed before crinkling her nose

"I'm not exactly happy," Danny defended weakly.

"I'm just moving the air," Zach defended himself. "I've got to oxygenate the next section. Now, keep calm or it's going to feel worse."

Zana went to tell him that everything was okay, but a loud bang! made her, and everyone else, jump. They instantly looked down the way they had just crawled, looking for the source of the noise as lights started to flash, but found absolutely nothing. Jefferson cocked his gun and aimed it towards the empty tunnel in front of him, ready to shoot.

"What was that?" Danny demanded.

Rose gulped, "Mr. Jefferson, what was that?"

"What's that noise?" Toby breathed.

Jefferson frowned, "Captain, what was that?" 

"The junction in Habitation Five's been opened," Zana could hear the worry in Zach's voice. "It must be the Ood. They're in the tunnels!"

"Well, open the gate!" Danny declared like it was obvious.

"I've got to get the air in!"

"Just open it, sir!" He cried.

"Are they nearby, Zach?" Zana asked hurriedly.

"I don't know. I can't tell. I can't see them," Zach's response was just as quick as the Ood became almost unbearably loud. "The computer doesn't register Ood as proper life forms!"

"Who was the idiot that came up with that?" She practically yelled, her voice shaking. "Zach!"

"Open the gate!" Danny screamed and Zana squeezed her eyes shut, dreading the second that the Ood would appear before them. They had gotten so far! They were so close to fixing everything! All of that, just to die, here, in a bloody tunnel by possessed aliens! How unlucky can Zana Kline get? But as if someone had heard her thoughts and wanted to prove her wrong, the gate flew open. Danny was quick to lead everyone through it, much to the teen's delight.

"Danny, turn left," Zach instructed. "Immediate left!"

"The Ood, sir!" Jefferson shouted. "Can't you trap them? Cut off the air?"

"Not without cutting off yours," Zach replied simply. "Danny, turn right. Go right! Go fast, Dan. They're going to catch up!"

Suddenly, Jefferson stopped as the others rushed as fast as they could.

"I'll maintain defensive position!" Jefferson informed.

"You can't just stop!" Zana exclaimed, trying to look back at him, but it was no use, Between the crawling and Toby, he was out of her range of sight.

"Miss Kline, that's my job. You've got your task, now see to it!" He held his gun up high.

"You heard what he said, now shift!" Toby yelled at the brunette.

Zana gulped but picked up the pace as the sound of gunfire overwhelmed her. She didn't want to leave him alone...

"Eight point two," Danny informed as they came to a halt at the next gate. "Open eight point two. Zach! Open eight point two!"

"I've got to aerate it!" Zach snapped.

"Open it now!" He practically screamed as the gunshots appeared to get louder.

"I'm trying!"

Danny growled and started banging his fist against the gate angrily.

"Danny, stop it," Rose scolded. "That's not helping!"

"Zach, get it open!" Toby demanded. Zana sent a sideways glance in his direction, but did nothing, What could she do anyway? Scold him as Rose did to Danny?

"Jefferson, I've got to open eight-point two by closing eight point one. You've got to get past the junction! Now move!" Zach ordered, but no reply came, and Zana certainly didn't hear the sound of Jefferson moving towards them "That's an order, now move! I'm going to lose oxygen, Jefferson, I can't stop for your dramatics!"

"That's it! Come on!" Danny practically cheered as the gate opened. A few seconds later, the sound of Jefferson close behind eased Zana somewhat as they crawled through the next gate.

"Danny, turn left and head for nine point two. That's the last one," Zach told the group and Zana was so relieved to hear it, though her hands still shook. "Jefferson, you've got to move faster. John, move!"

Zana turned to head to look back at Jefferson, who was considerably behind the group. Her heart constricted in her chest at the sight, and she so desperately wanted to go back and help him. "Come on, Jefferson! Hurry!"

"Keep going!" Toby exclaimed and shoved her forward, but all Zana could see was the gate closing.

With Jefferson on the wrong side.

~*~*~*~*~

A/N: Hey! Hi! Hello! :) How is everyone? Good, I hope!


	18. The Satan Pit Pt. 2

"Regret to inform, sir," Jefferson's voice was airy, but overall calm as everyone kept moving as fast as they could towards the final gate. Zana's eyes were starting to sting with tears. If it hadn't have been for Toby, Zana would have definitely turned and tried to help the security guard, and who knows how that would have turned out. She might have been stuck there with him as well, and that upset her as much as Jefferson's fate did, which irked her. "I was a bit slow. Not so fast, these days."

"I can't open eight point one, John," the captain informed sadly. "Not without losing air for the others..."

"And quite right too, sir. I think I bought them a little time."

"There's nothing I can do, John," Zach's voice was just as calm as Jefferson's, but Zana could hear the tears coming. "I'm sorry."

"You've done enough, sir. Made a very good captain under the circumstances," Jefferson assured, a smile in his tone. "May I ask, if you can't add oxygen to this section, can you speed up the process of its removal?"

"I don't understand," Zach sounded confused. "What do you mean?"

"Well, if I might choose the manner of my departure, sir, lack of air seems more natural than, well, let's say death by Ood," Zana leaned her head against Rose's shoulder as her tears finally trailed down her cheeks. "I'd appreciate it, sir!"

"God speed, Mr. Jefferson," his captain's words were full of emotion.

"Thank you, sir."

Rose reached down and took Zana's hand, fighting back tears of her own. Traveling with the Doctor was worth it, perhaps, but it never became easier.

"Report Officer John Maynard Jefferson PKD deceased with honors," Zach spoke softly after a few moments. "43 K two point one."

"Zach, we're at the final junction, nine-point two," Danny was trying not to cry as well, which only broke Zana's heart more. "And uh, if my respects could be on record. He saved our lives."

Zach nodded, "Noted. Opening nine point two."

Zana honestly shouldn't have been surprised when the gate opened to reveal several Ood already waiting for them, but she definitely was. Her eyes widened and a yelp escaped her lips as she turned to escape.

"Lower nine point two!" Rose cried as they quickly started crawling in the direction they had come. "Hurry, Zach!"

"Back! Back! Back!" Danny yelled.

"We can't go back!" Toby shouted back as they came to a stop. "The gate point's sealed off. We're stuck!"

Zana looked around as if she could find a secret passageway they could escape through. She yelped again, this time not out of fear, but excitement. Of course! She looked up to see the same metal flooring that made up the base, having remembered just how they had gotten into the tunnels in the first place.

"Come on!" She exclaimed as she pushed up on the floor above them, making it fly open. "Up!"

She was the first person to climb through it, followed by a relieved Rose and Danny. They were about to take off, but Rose soon stopped them.

"What is it?" Zana asked worriedly, but Rose simply looked down the hole they had just climbed out of.

"Come on!" She called down to Toby hurriedly. "Toby, come on! Toby, get out of there!"

He looked up at her, his eyes full of feat, "Help me! Oh, my God. Help me!"

Zana reached down to grab him, fully aware of the Ood approaching from the corridor. "Come on!"

Once Toby was out, Danny took off, "It's this way!

The group ran as fast as they could, dodging Ood at nearly every turn. Since she wasn't cramped in that tight space, Zana admittedly felt a lot better, despite the current situation. It didn't take them long to reach Ood Habitation, but when they did, they were only greeted by many, many more possessed aliens.

"Get it in, Danny!" Zana tried to encourage the man as he dug in his pockets for the orange chip. She chose to ignore the Ood coming at them by the stairs, merely in an attempt to stay calm. "Danny!"

"Danny, get down.

"Transmit!" Rose ordered, stepping back with Zana.

"I'm trying, I'm trying! I'm getting at it!" Danny frantically searched for the chip before eventually pulling it out of his jacket pocket.

Zana gulped, "Danny, start the transmission!" 

He fumbled slightly out of nervousness but quickly managed to insert the chip into the computer, which began transmitting. Zana watched in amazement as it went from a basic 100 to a basic 0 in three seconds flat. Almost instantly the Ood gripped their heads, obviously in pain, but she didn't give a damn. It was her friends or the creatures, and she preferred the ladder. Blimey, she could almost hear the Doctor scolding her for it...

"You did it!" Zana shook her head, ridding herself of her thoughts as the Ood collapsed before turning to Danny. "We did it!"

"Yes!" Danny smiled widely and pulled the brunette into a hug, which she happily returned. She needed it.

"Zach, we did it!" Rose informed the captain. "The Ood are down. Now we've got to get the Doctor!"

"I'm on my way," Zach nodded, and with that, they were off once more.

~*~*~*~*~

The moment they stepped into the drilling area, Zana and Rose rushed towards the comms, desperate to hear the Doctor's voice.

"Doctor, are you there?" Rose asked eagerly as Zana looped her arm through hers, just as excited to speak to him. After all of that, she practically needed to hear him tell her everything will be alright. "Doctor, Ida, can you hear me?

"The comms. are still down," Zach informed, walking into the area not long afterward. "I can patch them through the central desk and boost the signal. Just give me a minute."

He went to work on the comm as Zana bit her lip anxiously, watching him intently. Rose had begun staring into space. Zana knew the blonde's mind had wandered, to where? Now, she didn't know. She just hoped it was somewhere good.

"And...that should do it," the captain murmured as the monitor whirred to life, but Rose didn't hear him.

So instead, Zana took the comm. "Doctor? Ida? Can you hear me? Doctor? Are you there?"

"He's gone..." Ida's voice was soft, but it still felt like a punch to the gut. No...No, he couldn't be...

"He's gone?" Zana's breath hitched in her throat. "Gone where? How could he be gone?"

"He fell into the pit," the scientist whispered. "And I don't know how deep it is...Miles and miles and miles..."

"He fell? Just...fell? Why?"

"I couldn't stop him," she paused, obviously contemplating something. "He said Rose's name..."

"Just R-" Zana didn't get to finish the question as Zach yanked the comm from her hand. She went to protest, but she couldn't find it in her. He had only said Rose's name...The Doctor, the man she had begrudgingly allowed herself to grow close to, didn't even think of her in the end. Her heart constricted in her chest, but not out of jealousy, oh no.

Rose...all she had ever wanted was him, and as it turned out, all he wanted was her.

So instead of turning away in spite, she turned to her friend and pulled her into the tightest hug they had ever shared. Rose buried her face into Zana's neck and seconds later she started to shake.

"I've got you, Rose..." Zana murmured softly, holding her close. "Oh, Doctor..."

"I'm sorry," the captain told the friends quietly before speaking into the comm. "Ida? There's no way of reaching you. No cable, no backup...You're ten miles down...We can't get there."

"You should see this place, Zach. It's beautiful...Well, I wanted to discover things," Ida's voice broke, "and here I am."

"We've got to abandon the base," Zach told her, hanging his head in defeat. "I'm declaring this mission unsafe. All we can do is make sure no one ever comes here again."

"But we'll never find out what it was."

"Well, maybe that's best."

"Yeah."

Zach let out a shaky breath, "Officer Scott-"

"It's all right," she interjected. "Just go. Good luck."

"And you," he nodded before setting the comm don and turning to his remaining crew members. "Danny, Toby, close down the feed links. Get the retro tropes online, then get to the rocket and strap yourselves in. We're leaving."

"I'm not going," Rose declared as she pulled back from Zana, shocking the captain and her friend both.

"Rose, what do you mean?" Zana asked softly, albeit a bit confused.

"Rose, there's space for you and Zana both," Zach informed.

"No," she shook her head, "I'm going to wait for the Doctor. Just like he waited for me."

"I'm sorry, but he's dead," the captain shook his head.

"You don't know him. 'Cause he's not. I'm telling you, he's not," her voice broke and for the first time today tears fell from the blonde's eyes. "And even if he was, how could I leave him all on his own, all the way down there?" She shook her head defiantly and wiped her tears away. "No, I'm going to stay."

Zach nodded and looked past her shoulder. "Then I apologize for this. Danny, Toby? Make her secure."

Danny and Toby stepped forward and grabbed Rose by her arms, making Zana jump away.

Zach glanced at the brunette, "Do we need to secure you too?"

"No, sir," Zana replied gently, giving him a soft, hopefully comforting smile. "I understand the situation."

He nodded, "Good."

"No, no! No! No! No!" Rose started kicking her feet in a desperate attempt to get free, and Zana just watched sadly. She knew it was the only way to get Rose off the planet. "Let me go! Get off me! I'm not leaving!" Zach stepped toward the three and gripped Rose's arm in his hand. Zana quickly turned her head, not wanting to watch as he injected her friend with what she assumed was a sedative. "No..."

"I have lost too many people. I am not leaving you behind," Zach bent down and picked Rose up, laying the unconscious blonde over his shoulder. "Let's get her on board."

Toby took the lead, and Zana stayed close to Danny as they made their way towards the rocket. Ood littered the corridors and Zana tough it extremely difficult to walk past them without thinking one of them was going to grab her ankle.

"Did that one just move?" Toby asked hurriedly.

Great.

"It's the telepathic field," Danny informed as Zana caught sight of one of the Ood with its red eyes open. "It's reasserting itself!"

"Move it. Get to the rocket!" Zach ordered and they instantly began to run. "Move!"

~*~*~*~*~*~

"I've never been on a proper rocket before," Zana looked over at Zach, who was pressing buttons like his life depended on it. Well..it did, she supposed.

"How do you get places, then?" He raised an eyebrow, sparing her a glance.

"Well, the Doctor has..." she bit her lip. "Had this machine called the TARDIS. It was essentially a box."

"You traveled around in a box?" Danny frowned.

"Oh yeah," she turned to look back at him. He was sitting next to Toby, who was sitting next to the still-unconscious Rose Tyler. "It was the most beautiful thing in the whole of reality, I think. I loved it."

"How big was it?"

"It was big enough," she smiled affectionately, turning to look out of the glass before her. "I'm going to miss that old thing..."

"Dislocating B clamp. C Clamp. Raising blu-nitro to maximum. Toby, how's the Negapact feed line?" Zach called back to him, breaking the nostalgic mood the teen had fallen into.

"Clear. Ready to go, sir," Toby nodded quickly. "For God's sake, get us out of here!"

"Captain, I think we're going to have a problem passenger," Danny informed, making Zana turn back around to see a rousing Rose.

Zach simply waved Danny off, "Keep an eye on her."

"Wait. We're not-" Rose started as the rocket started to tremble. Zana couldn't help the excited giggle that left her mouth. She knew that later, when the reality of everything had time to sit in, she would be a total mess, but now? She figured she'd better enjoy her last few moments of happiness.

"It's all right, Rose. You're safe!" Danny tried, but Rose still tried to undo her restraints.

"I'm not going anywhere!" Rose snapped, but they barely heard her as the engines became almost unbearably loud. "Get me out of this thing! Get me out!"

"And liftoff!" Zach cheered, prompting Zana to laugh. "Whoo!"

"Take me back to the planet!" Rose demanded, causing Zana to jump in her seat. "Take me back!"

Zach didn't even seem affected, "Or what?"

"Or I'll shoot."

Zana's eyes widened and she turned to see Rose aiming a gun right at Zach. "Rose! Oh my god!"

"Would you, though? Would you really?" Zach merely glanced back at her. "Is that what your Doctor would want?" Rose gulped, obviously thinking it over. Zana watched her in horror, unsure whether she would actually shoot the captain or not. But of course, she was Rose Tyler. She was, after all, everything the Doctor wanted and more. So, she dropped the weapon. "Sorry, but it's too late anyway. Take a look outside. We can't turn back. This is what the Doctor would have wanted. Isn't that right?"

Zana took a deep breath, trying to calm her heart rate as she craned her neck to look out of the window behind. All she could see was the black hole getting smaller as they got farther and farther away, which relieved her. If only just a little. She glanced over at Rose, who had seemed to calm down slightly if the sight of her buckling up was anything to go by. Just as she moved to sit normally, Zana noticed Toby watching her and offered him a small smile, which prompted him to start laughing. God knows why.

"What's the joke?" Danny demanded,

"Just...we made it," Toby grinned widely, which honestly unnerved the teen. In the full day she had known him, he had never smiled. Not once. "We escaped. We actually did it!"

"Not all of us," Rose reminded darkly.

"We're not out of it yet. We're still the first people in history to fly away from a black hole," Zach muttered. "Toby, read me the stats."

"Gravity funnel holding, sir, Always holding," Toby informed, his grin not wavering one bit. "Stats at fifty-three. Funnel stable at sixty-six point five. Hull pressure constant. Smooth as we can, sir, all the way back home. Coordinates set for planet Earth."

"It doesn't make sense," Rose spoke up, clearly in thought. "We escaped, but there's a thousand ways it could've killed us...It could've ripped out the air or, I don't know, burnt us, or anything." Zana turned to face her again, because, well, Rose had a point. It seemed almost too easy that they had managed to get off the planet as they did. "But it let us go. Why? Unless it wanted us to escape?"

"Hey, Rose, do us a favor," Toby moved closer to Rose, almost so they were face to face. "Shut up." Rose glared at him as he moved to continue flipping switched. "Almost there. We'll be beyond the reach of the black hole in forty, thirty-nine..."

Zana exhaled deeply as she leaned back in her seat, trying to get comfortable. They had a long ride ahead of them, and tensions were already starting to grow among them. All she wanted was for everyone to keep quiet. But she was a companion of the Doctor. That would never happen.

The rocket jolted with incredible force, sending Zana forward. The only thing that stopped her from flying out of the seat and onto the control panel was her seat buckle.

"What happened?" Danny asked quickly as alarms started to blare and lights started to flash. "What was that?"

"What's he doing?" Toby breathed. "What is he doing?"

"We've lost the funnel," Zach gulped, making Zana's eyes widen. "Gravity collapse!"

"What does that mean?" Rose shouted.

"It means we're being sucked into the black hole!" Zana exclaimed as she gripped onto the seat in an attempt to keep herself still. The rocket was still shaking and trembling, and Zana was starting to as well.

"It's the planet," Rose breathed, having looked out the window. "The planet's moving. It's falling!"

"I am the rage," a demonic voice filled the air and Zana snapped her head back to see Toby, covered in the black symbols, just like he had been before the Ood became possessed.

"It's Toby!" Zana turned to the captain. "Zach, do something!"

"...and the bile and the ferocity..."

"Just do something!" Rose cried.

"...I am the Prince and the Fall and the enemy. I am the sin and the fear and the darkness..."

"It's him! It's him!" Danny's voice added the shouting. "It's him!"

"Stay where you are!" Zach ordered them. "The ship's not stable!"

They all watched as Toby, or what used to be Toby, withered in his seat.

"What is he?" Zach demanded, his eyes widening in shock. "What the hell is he?!"

"I shall never die. The thought of me is forever. In the bleeding hearts of men, in their vanity and obsession and lust," Toby practically chanted. Zana looked around desperately, and almost instantly her eyes landed on the gun Rose had dropped only minutes before. She twisted her body, groaning with the effort, but she managed to grab the gun off the floor and take a deep breath.

"Unbuckle him, Rose," she gulped, pressing her finger against the trigger.

"What?" Rose breathed. "Zana-"

"Rose, please, just do it!"

Seconds later Zana heard the sound of Toby being released and closed her eyes.

"Nothing shall ever destroy me!" Toby laughed. "Nothing!"

Zana opened her eyes and aimed the gun at the window in front of them, "Yeah? Go to hell!"

With that, she pulled the trigger. Toby instantly flew out of his seat and out into space, still roaring as he was pulled into the vacuum.

"Emergency shield!" Zach shouted as Zana dropped the gun, her pulse almost through the roof. A metal shield fell into place of the broken window, nearly calming the inside of the rocket, but not the outside. They were still falling, Zana could feel it. "We've still lost the gravity funnel. We can't escape the black hole!"

"But we stopped him," Rose's voice sent chills down Zana's spine. "That's what the Doctor would've done."

"Some victory," Zach nearly snapped. "We're going in!"

"The planet's lost orbit. It's falling!" Danny shouted. "The planet's gone..." He made eye contact with Zana, "I'm sorry."

"Accelerate. I did my best. But hey! The first human beings to fall inside a black hole!" Zach's attempt to be optimistic fooled no one. "How about that? History."

Rose simply closed her eyes, looking as peaceful as ever. Zana watched her in awe. How could she do that? They were literally going to die.

Oh, Zana. When were you going to learn?

The alarm stopped blaring, the lights stopped flashing, and the rocket quit shaking.

"What happened?" Rose breathed, just as shocked as the others.

"We're turning..." Zach gasped. "We're turning around. We're turning away!"

"Sorry about the hijack, Captain!" The unmistakable voice of the Doctor filled the cabin. "This is the good ship TARDIS." Zana broke out in an almost painful smile. Oh, she absolutely adored that man! "Now, first thing's first. Have you got a Rose Tyler and a Zana Kline on board?"

"I'm here! It's me! Oh, my God!" Rose laughed joyously.

"Doctor, where are you?" Zana's smile was as wide as ever.

"I'm just towing you home. Gravity schmavity. My people practically invented black holes," he paused. "Well, in fact, they did. In a couple of minutes, we'll be nice and safe. Oh, and Captain? Can we do a swap? Say, if you give me Zana Kline and Rose Tyler, I'll give you Ida Scott? How about that?"

"She's alive!" Zach exclaimed.

"Yes!" Danny closed his eyes. "Oh, thank God."

"Yeah! Bit of oxygen starvation, but she should be all right," his happy tone faltered. "I couldn't save the Ood. I only had time for one trip...They went down with the planet." Zana bit her lip and looked down, but a series of beeps rang out. "Ah! Entering clear space. End of the line. Mission closed."

~*~*~*~*~

Once Zana stepped into the TARDIS, the most overwhelming feeling of happiness filled her. She watched as Rose ran up the ramp and jumped into the Doctor's arms, and smiled. They both looked so happy to be alive, so happy to be in each other's arms...

~*~*~*~*~

"Zach? We'll be off, now. Have a good trip home," the Doctor rubbed the back of his neck, now clad in his usual brown pinstripe suit. "And the next time you get curious about something...Oh, what's the point. You'll just go blundering in," he gave Rose a small smile. "The human race."

"But Doctor, what did you find down there?" Ida pondered. "That creature, what was it?"

"I don't know," he shrugged his shoulders. "Never did decipher that writing. But that's good. Day I know everything? Might as well stop."

Zana bit her lip and laid her hands on the console, savoring the whir she got in response. "What do you think it was, Doctor?"

"I think...we beat it," he met her gaze. "That's good enough for me."

"It said I was going to die in battle," Rose said softly.

"Then it lied," he told her, making her smile. "Right, onwards, upwards. Ida? See you again, maybe."

"I hope so," she replied wishfully.

"And thank you, Danny," Zana called, smiling softly. "And thank you, Captain."

"Hang on though, Doctor," Ida interrupted just before the Doctor cut them off. "You never really said. You three, who are you?"

"Oh," The Doctor, Zana, and Rose shared a look. "The stuff of legend."

~*~*~*~*~

Zana's room was pitch black except for the ceiling above her. She had thought that it would be amazing if she could see the stars and galaxies and nebulae overhead as the TARDIS drifted past them, and like that, it happened. So, she put in her earbuds and laid back on her bed, and for the past hour or so, she's been as calm as she'd been all day. Sure, the events of the day were racing through her head at a thousand miles per hour, but she knew that it was done and over with and that she'd never step foot on the damned planet ever again, and that eased her tremendously. And on top of that, music, she had learned so long ago, was the perfect companion. It could evoke any emotion it wanted to, and the works of Beethoven always seemed to soothe her. She had to keep turning it up, though, because although the TARDIS was infinite and it would seem nearly impossible that she could hear the Doctor and Rose laughing and having a good time in the control room, she still could. She was starting to think the TARDIS was doing it to her on purpose.

"Zana..."

The teenager frowned. Had someone said her name?

"Zana...Zana, are you there?"

"What the..." she sat up and looked around, but the stars above didn't illuminate as much as she wanted them to. "Hello? Doctor? I know it's you-"

"Zana..."

"What the hell?" She turned her music off and the lights seemed to brighten a little. Thank you, TARDIS.

"Zana Marie Kline, we will find you!"

"Bloody hell!" Zana exclaimed loudly as she threw her iPod across the room. Even though she had shut it off, the familiar voice seemed to seep through the earbuds, straight into her ears. "Stop it! Just bloody stop!"

It was the same exact voice she'd been hearing at night in her dreams, but it was different now...it was more prominent, more demanding...and it terrified her. She covered her mouth with her hands and bit back the sob trying to escape her mouth. What the hell was happening to her?

"Zana!" The door to her room flew open, making Zana shout in fear, and in ran a concerned Doctor. "Zana, what is it?"

"It won't stop..." she breathed as her eyes started to water. "Doctor..."

"What won't stop?" He stepped up to her and laid his hands on her shoulders. He tried to meet her gaze, but her eyes were locked on the floor. "Zana, talk to me!"

"The voice..." her voice broke as she gave in and looked up, looking into his brown eyes. They were filled with worry and concern. "There's this voice...it-it's been in my dreams for a few months now...I don't...I don't know what or who it is...but I wasn't asleep, Doctor! I was listening to music!"

He frowned as his eyes trailed over her face as if she herself held the answers. "Why haven't you told me about this, Zana?"

"Because they were just dreams!" She whimpered slightly before shaking her head. No. No, don't get upset, Zana. That'll do absolutely nothing. "They were just dreams..."

"And it's the same voice every time?" He asked softly as his hands slid down her arms and took her hands.

She nodded as she swallowed the lump in her throat. "I was going to tell you, but why would it have mattered? You can't do anything about it."

"Maybe not," he murmured, giving her hands a comforting squeeze. "But I can try to." Zana couldn't help but smile. "Ah, there it is," he returned her smile happily. "Lovely!"

She looked down in an attempt to hide her blush. Blimey, Zana. "Where's Rose?"

"She had gone off to bed a while before I heard you shouting. The two of you have had quite the day..." He paused. "Maybe that's it, maybe the voice is a side effect of traveling."

Zana started to laugh, but when he didn't laugh as well, she faltered. "No, no, it's not," she shook her head quickly. He couldn't be serious, could he?

"Zan..." he sighed. "Some people don't take to the TARDIS. They...they just aren't as compatible as others. Maybe-"

"No," she shook her head. "Stop talking."

"Zana-"

"Doctor..." she gulped. "Don't make me leave...please..."

His eyes widened slightly, "Leave? Oh, Zana, never! Well, never again. Got it? You've become someone I..." Their eyes met as she looked up at him, and that seemed to render him silent.

"Someone you what, Doctor?" She asked softly, cursing herself for not looking away, but she couldn't help it. His eyes, his beautiful ancient eyes were mesmerizing.

"Someone I care for deeply," he murmured in that tone that Zana had come to recognize as his 'thinking' tone. She noticed that his gaze seemed to fall, but only for a millisecond before returning to her eyes. She almost could have sworn they had moved closer to one another, but perhaps her mind was still muddled.

"You too," she felt him lace their fingers together. "You and Rose mean so much to me now, I can't imagine what would happen if I lost one of you."

"I won't let it happen," his voice was soft and promising. "I swear to you."

She smiled softly.

"Try and get some sleep," his tone hadn't changed at all, which sent shivers down the brunette's back. "If you have that dream again, don't hesitate to come get me, Zan. I'll be in the control room. Alright?"

She nodded, releasing his hands. "Alright..."

In a move that completely stunned her, the Doctor leaned forward and pressed a soft kiss to her forehead. He quickly turned, making it to her bedroom door in only a few strides. "Goodnight, Zan. Sweet dreams."

"Goodnight, Doctor..." She breathed, and she was almost certain he hadn't heard her, but she was too surprised to care. If a voice was the only thing that would be haunting her, then she was determined to befriend it. Anything to stay with the Doctor and Rose.

~*~*~*~*~

A/N: Another chapter! Woo-hoo! Ooh, a bit of Doctor/Zana there! Hope you enjoy it! :)

EDIT: OMG THE LAST PART OF THE CHAPTER DIDN'T APPEAR, BUT IT'S THERE NOW

...how did I even manage to do that?


	19. Fear Her

In the weeks after that, things seemed to relax. Their adventures weren't anywhere near as traumatizing. In fact, they were actually quite pleasant. She and Rose had made snow angels on the planet of eternal winter, which was, funnily enough, called Gloria, and the Doctor bought the both of them an odd drink with a name she couldn't possibly pronounce, but it tasted similar to hot chocolate, so she didn't mind. The Time Lord also took his two companions to what was essentially a marketplace on an asteroid. Which turned out to be a giant mistake on his part, because he had to carry everything they bought. Which was a lot. A lot. Oh, and the voice? It didn't fully disappear, but it was nowhere near as frequent as it had been. The Doctor was sure to check on her before she retired for the night, which she secretly adored. Not that she'd ever admit it, of course.

"Oi!" Zana exclaimed, being pulled from her thoughts as Rose yanked the book she had been reading out of her hands before handing it to the Doctor. He grabbed it and set it down on the console, making her huff. "There are better ways to get my attention, Miss Tyler."

"Aw, but you're so fun to mess with," Rose grinned that tongue-in-cheek smile, pulling on her denim jacket. "Besides, the Doctor said we're somewhere brilliant!"

"He always says that," she stood up, stretching her arms slightly. She had forgotten how long she was sitting there.

"And do I disappoint?" The Doctor raised an eyebrow but held up a hand before she could respond. "Ah, ah, don't answer that." Zana gave him a cheeky grin, which he returned with a wink before rushing towards the doors, throwing them open in a very dramatic fashion. "Ah."

"What is it?" Zana looked back at the time rotor and started laughing at the sight. "Oh, you parked us so we couldn't get out. How very Doctor-like!"

"Oi, watch it," he pointed at her teasingly before quickly correcting his mistake. This time, Zana and Rose followed after him. "Ah!" He beamed as they stepped outside.

Rose looked around, pushing the few stray pieces of hair from her face as she spotted a Shane Ward Greatest Hits poster. "So, near future, yeah?

"I had a passing fancy," the Doctor informed as the trio began walking away from the TARDIS. "Only it didn't pass, it stopped."

"How far into the future?" Zana pondered as they rounded a corner towards a rather small, and by the looks of it, friendly-looking neighborhood.

"Thirtieth Olympiad!" The Doctor grinned, shoving his hands into his pockets as they caught sight of the giant banner that read 'London 2012'.

"No way! Why didn't we think of this?" Rose turned to Zana and laughed ."That's great!"

"Only seems like yesterday a few naked Greek blokes were tossing a discus about, wrestling each other in the sand with crowds stood around baying. No, wait a minute, that was Club Med," the Doctor joked, nudging Zana with his shoulder as he laughed. She couldn't help but smile as she linked her arm through his. "Just in time for the opening doo dah, ceremony, tonight, I thought you two would like that. Last one they had in London was dynamite! Wembley, 1948. I loved it so much, I went back and watched it all over again," Zana chuckled, shaking her head at his excitement. "Fella carrying the torch. Lovely chap, what was his name?" Rose stopped walking alongside them, but they just kept going, oblivious. "Mark? John? Mark? Legs like pipe cleaners, but strong as a whippet!"

"John Mark, Doctor," Zana informed with a laugh.

"Doctor," Rose called. "Zana, come here."

"And in those days, everybody had a tea party to go to," the Doctor informed Zana, who raised an eyebrow in mock interest.

"Doctor!" Rose's voice grew louder.

"Did you ever have one of those little cakes with the crunchy ball bearings on top?"

"You should really look at this," she informed loudly, finally making them turn around.

"Do you know those things? Nobody else in this entire galaxy's ever even bothered to make edible ball bearings. Genius," he murmured as his and Zana's eyes landed on multiple Missing Person posters that had been zip-tied to an electrical pole. All of them were for children, who couldn't be more than 12 years old...

"What's taking them, do you think? Snatching children from a thoroughly ordinary street like this," he murmured, glancing at Zana as she zipped up her jacket without peeling her eyes from the posters. "Why's it so cold? Is someone reducing the temperature?"

"It says they all went missing this week," Zana looked up at the Doctor.

Rose shook her head. "Why would a person do something like this?"

The Doctor frowned down at her, "What makes you think it's a person?"

"Whatever it is, it's got the whole street scared to death," Rose muttered as she and Zana watched as a woman sat her trash bag on the curb before hurrying back into her home. What was going on here?

"Doctor, what-" Zana started, turning to look at him, but she was greeted by the sight of him running down the street. "Alright, then."

"Can't expect more from 'im," her friend muttered as the two of them started after him. Zana stuffed her hands in her pockets as she watched a car drive by, and she couldn't help but love the simplicity of it all. They were back on Earth after God knows long, and she was happy about that. But after seeing the car suddenly die in the middle of the road, she jokingly thought that maybe Earth wasn't too happy with her return.

"There you go. Fifth today!" A council worker shook his head as he walked towards the car, not surprised by the incident at all. "Not natural, is it?"

"I don't know what happened, I had it serviced less than a month ago!" The driver frowned.

"Nah, don't even try and explain it, mate. All the cars are doing it. And do you know what? It's bonkers. Bonkers! Come on then, pal," he walked around to the back of the car, the driver following suit. "I'll help you shift it. Quicker you're on the way, happier you'll be."

Zana and Rose watched as the two men struggled before glancing at each other knowingly.

"There we go," the councilman grunted with the effort.

Rose smiled, amused. "Do you want a hand?"

"No, we're all right, love," he attempted to wave her off, but Zana and she stepped forward anyway.

"You're not," she laughed as she and Zana started pushing the car as well. "We're tougher than we look, honest."

Within seconds, the engine roared to life, sending the council worker to the ground as the vehicle started moving on its own.

"Does this happen a lot?" Zana wondered aloud, her eyes locked on the car.

"Cheers, mate!" The driver called, honking his horn appreciatively before driving off.

"Been doing it all week," the council worker sighed.

Rose frowned, "Since those children started going missing?"

"Yeah, I suppose so," he nodded slowly as the three of them began to walk down the street. "Every car cuts out. The council are going nuts. I mean, they've given this street the works. Renamed it. I've been tarmacking every pothole. Look at that! Beauty, init?" He beamed down at a patch of fresh tarmac proudly. Zana smiled softly and nodded. "Yeah! And all that is because that Olympic Torch comes right by the end of this Close. Just down there. Everything's got to be perfect, ain't it? Only it ain't. 

"It takes them when they're playing!" An older woman cried as she wandered towards the trio, obviously very distressed.

Zana frowned at the elderly woman, confused. "What does?"

"Danny, Jane, Dale," she listed. "Snatched in the blink of an eye!"

Before she could reply, the Doctor's voice filled the air. Everyone looked to see him stepping away from a man, who looked rather cross. "I'm-I'm a police officer!" The Doctor exclaimed before nodding, pleased with that choice. "That's what I am! I've got a badge and a police car! You don't have to get- I can, I can prove it!" He dug into the pocket of his trench coat, searching for his psychic paper. "Just hold on!"

"We've had plenty of coppers poking around here, and you don't look or sound like any of them!" The man snapped, point an accusing finger at the Time Lord.

"See, look. I've got a colleague!" He pointed at Rose, who went with it. "Lewis." 

"Well, she looks less like a copper than you do!" The man's eyes landed on Zana. "And who the hell is she?"

"I have no idea who these people are," Zana shook her head, biting back a laugh. Might as well have a little fun. "I'm not with them whatsoever."

The Doctor gave her an 'are you serious?' look before turning his attention back to Rose. "Training. New recruit. It was either that or hairdressing, so, voila!" He brandished the leather wallet from his pocket and held it in front of the man's face. After a moment or so, the man huffed but didn't press the matter any longer.

"What are you going to do?" A younger woman asked, having joined when she heard the shouting.

"The police have knocked on every door," the old woman shook her head."No clues, no leads, nothing!"

"Look, kids run off sometimes, all right?" The man rolled his eyes. "That's what they do!"

"Saw it with me own eyes! Dale Hicks in your garden, playing with your Tommy, and then pfft!" Her hands flew up slightly as she spoke. "Right in front of me, like he was never there! There's no need to look any further than this street. It's right here amongst us."

"Why don't we..." the Doctor started.

"Why don't we start with him?" A different woman, clad in a blue sweater, interfered, nodding towards the councilman. "There's been all sorts like him in this street, day and night!"

The councilman scoffed, "Fixing things up for the Olympics!"

Now the other man started in, "Yeah, and taking an awfully long time about it!"

"I'm of the opinion that all we've got to do is just-" the Doctor tried again, but to no prevail, which honestly amused Zana. It wasn't very often that people didn't stop and listen to the Time Lord.

"You don't-" the council worker was still gawking over what that woman had said to him. "What you just said, that's slander!"

"I don't care what it is!" The woman rolled her eyes

"I think we need to just-" the Time Lord started again. Zana would have laughed, but her eyes were locked on the only person who wasn't saying a word. The young woman looked worried, but almost as if she was...afraid? Guilty? Was that guilt Zana saw?

"I want an apology off her!" The councilman demanded.

"Stop picking on him," the elderly woman turned to the younger one.

"Yeah, stop picking on me!"

Then she turned to the council worker, "And stop pretending to be blind. It's evil!"

"I don't believe in evil!" The woman shouted.

"Oh no, you just believe in tarmackers with sack loads of kidnapped kiddies in their van!" He huffed.

"Hey hey, hey, hey, that's not what she's saying!" The man rushed to her defense.

"Would you stop ganging up on me?!"

"Feeling guilty, are we?" Zana flinched at the woman's tone.

"Fingers on lips!" The Doctor shouted, successfully silencing everyone. Zana didn't know that she was actually supposed to put her finger on her lips until the Doctor nudged her and gave her a look.

"Sorry..." she murmured and did as told. Her eyes soon returned to the young woman, who had yet to notice her staring.

"In the last six days, three of your children have been stolen," the Doctor's tone was soft now. "Snatched out of thin air, right?"

"Er, can I?" The older woman asked, and the Doctor nodded. "Look around you. This was a safe street till it came! It's not a person. I'll say it if no one else will. Maybe you're coppers, maybe you're not. I don't care who you are. Can you please help us?"

When Zana looked up, she was surprised to see a child staring at her through her window. The teen offered the young girl a smile, but she didn't move one bit. Alright...that was a bit odd, but she really wouldn't have thought anything of it if she hadn't have noticed that the woman, the silent, guilty woman, rushing into the house as soon as she had noticed her daughter staring.

There was definitely something wrong here.

~*~*~*~*~

Once everyone had gone their separate ways, the Doctor led Rose and Zana towards the front garden he was in earlier, the same front garden Dale Hicks had disappeared from to be exact. He had told them there was something off about it, but from what Zana could see, everything was perfectly normal. She didn't really see the point in just standing there. Shouldn't they be over at that woman's house, questioning her, and not watching the Doctor sniff profusely at the air?

"Want a hanky?" Rose asked from her spot next to a small soccer net, raising an eyebrow.

"Can you smell it?" He asked his two companions. "What does it remind you of?"

"That metallic smell?" Zana murmured, looking up to see him practically standing over her.

"Mhmm," he nodded before dashing off towards the alleyway behind the row of houses, leaving both her and Rose no choice but to follow. "Danny Edwards cycled in one end but never came out the other," he explained quickly. "Whoa, there it goes again!" He held up his hand so they could see it. "Look at the hairs on the back of my manly hairy hand."

"And there's that smell," Rose crinkled her nose, as did Zana. It wasn't exactly pleasant. "It's like a um, a burnt fuse plug, or something."

"There's a residual energy in the spots where the kids vanished," he informed. "Whatever it was, it used an awful lot of power to do this."

"Aren't you a beautiful boy?" Rose exclaimed suddenly, making the Doctor beam.

"Thanks! I'm experimenting with backcombing," Zana got a chuckle out of the huge smile on his face, and an even bigger laugh once he turned to see Rose crouched down, talking to a small, ginger cat, and not to him. "Oh."

"I used to have one like you," Rose cooed softly, petting the cat gently before looking up at her two friends. "What?"

"No, I'm not really a cat person. Once you've been threatened by one in a nun's wimple, it kind of takes the joy out of it," the Doctor grimaced slightly.

Zana watched as the cat ran from Rose's side, and into a small cardboard box that was sitting on the side of the road. She didn't really think anything of it. She figured that was where it stayed.

"Come here, puss. What do you want to go in there for?" Rose frowned as she stood up straight and followed after it, but stopped short of the box. She bent down next to it, only to stand up just as quick. "Doctor! Phew!"

The Doctor hurried over and a took big whiff of the air. Zana could smell it all the way from where was she was standing. "Whoa! Hoo, hoo, hoo, hoo! Ion residue," he reached down and picked the box up, turning it in his hands. "Blimey! That takes some doing. Just to snatch a living organism out of space-time. This baby is just like, I'm having some of that." Zana cringed at his failed attempt at an accent. "I'm impressed!"

"So the cat's been transported?" Rose frowned.

"It can harness huge reserves of ionic power. We need to find the source of that power," he spun around, looking at the houses that surrounded them. "Find the source and you will find whatever has taken to stealing children and fluffy animals. See what you can see," he hit Rose's shoulder with the back of his hand softly. "Keep them peeled, Lewis. You too, Zan!"

"Yes sir," she nodded, watching him dash off before turning to Rose. "Shall we, Lewis?"

Rose broke out in a wide smile, "We shall, Zan!"

Zana grinned as the two of them walked down the sidewalk, their steps perfectly in sync. They really weren't looking, or at least Zana wasn't. Everything seemed so...normal.

"What do you think it is?" Rose wandered.

"No idea," Zana shook her head, pulling her hands from her pockets. It had started to warm up outside. "Hopefully it's not something that will make us run. Seriously, my legs are still sore from the other day."

Rose laughed, "What, from when we literally got caught up in the French Revolution? Or when we had to escape from that King back on Pulchrum?"

"Neither," Zana nudged her. She went to make a witty reply, but a loud knocking caught their attention. The two of them looked around, trying to figure out where it was at.

"Is that you, puss cat?" Rose called to the noise as she and Zana stepped towards the storage unit it was emitting from. "Are you trapped?"

Another loud thump rang out, making them look at each other.

"We really shouldn't open," Zana murmured, but she was already reaching for the handle. Her curiosity always got the best of her, didn't it? "One, two...three!" She pushed the door up and instantly regretted it. The teen was thrown back on her back, rather forcefully, by...by what the hell was that?!

"Zana!" Rose exclaimed as the brunette brought her arms up, trying to shield her face from the mess of black matter.

"Stay still!" The Doctor's voice called out and Zana could hear the buzzing of the sonic screwdriver as he ran closer. The ball above her shrank and fell into her hands. "Okie dokie?" He reached down and helped the shaken teen to her feet.

"I think so," she nodded, brushing the dirt from her jeans. "Thank you."

"No probs," he smiled at her and pulled her into a quick hug, surprising her and Rose both, but she just had to return it. Once he pulled away, Zana handed him the ball as a way to change the subject. "I'll give you a fiver if you can tell me what the hell it is," he poked it with his screwdriver, "because I haven't got the foggiest."

"Well, I can tell you you've just killed it," Rose commented.

"It was never living," the Doctor informed. "It's animated by energy. Same energy that's snatching people. That is so dinky!" He grinned, tossing the ball in the air a few times. "The go anywhere creature. Fits in your pocket, makes friends, impresses the boss," he shoved it into his pocket, "breaks the ice at parties."

The three of them laughed as they started to walk off, towards their beloved TARDIS.

~*~*~*~*~

Rose and Zana were leaning on the console on either side of the Doctor, watching as he worked on trying to figure out what exactly that ball was.

"Oh, hi ho, here we go! Let's have a look," the Doctor said as the monitor beeped. He quickly read the results. "Get out of here."

"What's it say?" Rose frowned, as did Zana. They couldn't exactly read Gallifreyan.

Instead of answering, the Doctor simply reached into his pocket and pulled out a pencil. Zana watched in wonder as he literally began erasing the ball out of existence. "It is," he blew the dust away. "It's graphite. Basically the same material as an HB pencil."

"Zan was attacked by a pencil scribble?"

"Scribble creature, brought into being with ionic energy," he corrected. "Whatever we're dealing with, it can create things as well as take them. But why make a scribble creature?"

Zana mimicked scribbling something out as she thought for an answer. "People scribble over things to get rid of them. Usually, they're mistakes, aren't they? Like, for example, a picture. A kid is drawing a picture, and they mess up, so..." She suddenly looked up, her eyes wide. "You said it was in the street, didn't you?"

He nodded, "Probably."

"The girl!"

"Of course!" The Doctor exclaimed loudly as if he completely understood. "What girl?"

"There was this girl staring at me while everyone was bickering in the street. Her mum looked...I dunno," Zana frowned, meeting his gaze. "She looked rather frightened."

The Time Lord leaned in closer to her, a cheeky smile playing at his lips. "Are you deducting?"

"And if I am?" Zana leaned in as well, smiling widely.

"Copper's hunch?"

"Perhaps it is," her smile turned into a playful smirk before sliding on her jacket and rushing towards the wooden doors. "Come on, you two!"

~*~*~*~*~

The Doctor rang the doorbell to the house and waited for a few seconds. When that didn't work, he began rattling the letterbox. Zana gave him a look, but the door opened before she could say something. "Hello. I'm the Doctor, this is Rose, and that's Zana. Can we see your daughter?"

"No, you can't," the woman replied instantly.

"Okay," the three of them turned to leave. "Bye."

"Why?" She called to them hesitantly. "Why do you want to see Chloe?"

The Doctor shrugged as they turned to face her once more, "Well, there's some interesting stuff going on in this street, and I just thought," he motioned at Zana and Rose, "well, we thought, that she might like to give us a hand."

"Sorry to bother you," Rose offered her a wave.

"Yeah, sorry," the Doctor nodded. "We'll let you get on with things...on your own," they turned to leave once more. "Bye again."

"Wait!" The woman stopped them. "Can you help her?"

He offered her a kind smile, "Yes, I can."

The woman, who had introduced herself as Trish, lead them into her living room. Rose and Zana sat down on the couch, glancing at the telly as the Doctor tossed his coat over the arm of it. Zana had become so engrossed in the coverage of the Olympics that she actually jumped when Trish started to speak.

"She stays in her room most of the time. I try talking to her, but it's like trying to speak to a brick wall," Trish sighed and looked down at the ground. "She gives me nothing, just asks to be left alone."

"What about Chloe's dad?" Rose asked softly.

"Chloe's dad died a year ago."

"I'm sorry..."

"You wouldn't be if you'd known him," Trish said simply.

"Well," the Doctor spoke up cheerfully, a big contrast from Trish's tone, "let's go and say hi."

"I should check on her first," she gulped. "She might be asleep."

"Why are you afraid of her, Trish?" He pondered gently.

She bit her lip, "I want you to know before you see her that's she's really a great kid."

"I'm sure she is."

"She's never been in trouble at school you should see her report from last year," Trish glanced down at Rose and Zana, who both offered her a smile. "A's and B's."

"Can I use your loo?" Rose asked her as she stood up suddenly. Trish nodded towards the stairs, and Zana watched as her friend walked off, curious. 

"She's in the choir. She's singing in an old folks home. Any mum would be proud," Trish smiled sadly as Zana stood up, moving to the Doctor's side. "You know I want you to know these things before you see her, Doctor, because right now...she's not herself."

Zana bit her lip as the girl in question walked down the stairs and nudged the Doctor gently. The sight of her sent shivers down her spine. She couldn't explain it, but there was just...something off about the girl. Like something straight out of a horror movie.

"What is it, Zan?" He murmured, looking down at her.

She simply nodded towards the kitchen as she chewed on her lip nervously. The Doctor glanced over at Trish before stepping past the brunette, into the kitchen as well. Zana and Trish followed and were greeted by the sight of the girl simply taking a drink of milk. To be honest, Zana wasn't sure what she was expecting to see the girl doing, but that wasn't it.

"Alright, there?" The Doctor spoke up softly as his companion moved to stand beside him. "I'm the Doctor and this is my friend, Zana." 

"I'm Chloe Webber," the girl nodded.

"How're you doing, Chloe Webber?"

"I'm busy. I'm making something," Chloe looked over at Trish, her face emotionless. "Aren't I, mum?"

Trish glanced at the Doctor, "And like I said, she's not been sleeping."

"But you've been drawing, though. I'm rubbish. Stick men about my limit. Can do this, though," Zana smiled softly as the Time Lord held up the Vulcan salute. She couldn't even do that. "Can you do that?"

But the girl just stared blankly, "They don't stop moaning."

"Chloe..." Trish frowned.

"I try to help them, but they don't stop moaning."

Zana eyed the girl, "Who won't?"

"We can be together!"

"Sweetheart..." her mother's voice broke as she stepped towards her, but Chloe glared at her.

"Don't touch me, mum!"

The two time travelers shared a worried look. They had no idea what to make of all of this.

"I'm busy, Doctor," Chloe muttered before walking past him and his companion, towards the stairs.

"Come on, Chloe! Don't be a spoilsport! What's the big project?" The Doctor and Zana followed after the girl. "I'm dying to know! What're you making up there?"

"Doctor!" Rose's scared shout filled the air, and instantly the Doctor pushed past Chloe to dash upstairs. Zana was close behind, feeling her pulse speed up with worry as they burst into what she assumed was Chloe's bedroom. Rose was staring into the closet and looked as though she was being pulled in.

"I'm coming to hurt you!" A growly voice filled the air as the Doctor pulled Rose back from the closet doors. Zana stepped forward and shut them quickly.

"Look at it!" Rose demanded of them.

"No, ta," the Doctor gave her a look as he stepped past her, towards the many drawings that littered Chloe's wall and desk. Zana stepped forward as well, her eyes widening at the sight. She was immediately drawn to the drawings on the young girl's wall. There was a picture of Dale Hicks with the most awful look of distress on his face, and beside him was a cat that looked eerily similar to the one Rose had run into earlier. Just as she moved forward to get a better look, the boy's mouth widened in a silent scream.

"Oh, my god," Zana stepped backward quickly, bumping into the Doctor in the process.

"What is it?" He asked softly as he slid on his glasses.

"I...I'm not sure," she murmured, her eyes fixated on the picture before her. She took a deep breath before looking at the drawings in the Doctor's hands. There was a plethora of animals and different types of objects, but there was a standalone drawing of a boy Zana recognized as well. Danny Edwards.

"What the hell was that?" Trish breathed.

Rose gulped, "A drawing. The face of a man."

"What face?" The concerned mother tried to open the doors to the closet, but Rose stepped in front of them quickly.

"Best not."

She turned to her daughter, "What've you been drawing?"

"I drew him yesterday," Chloe informed flatly.

"Who?"

"Dad."

"Your dad? But he's long gone!" Trish shook her head. "Chloe, with all the lovely things in the world, why him?"

"I dream about him, staring at me."

"I thought we were putting him behind us. What's the matter with you?"

"We need to stay together."

Trish nodded, "Yes, we do."

"No. Not you, us," Chloe snapped. "We need to stay together, and then it'll be alright!"

"Trish, the drawings...Have you seen what Chloe's drawings can do?" Rose asked softly. 

"Who gave you permission to come into her room?" Trish glared at her. "Get out of my house."

"Look," Zana murmured, carefully taking the drawing of the young boy off the wall. "Doctor, look."

The Doctor turned and looked down at the drawing for a moment, and without uttering a single word, turned towards the others. "Tell us about the drawings, Chloe."

"I don't want to hear any more of this!" Trish huffed.

"But that drawing of her dad," Rose shook her head. "I heard a voice! He spoke!"

"He's dead," the mother narrowed her eyes. "And these, they're kid's pictures. Now get out!"

"Why has she got drawings of Dale Hicks and Danny Edwards?" Zana turned to the group, having grown tired of their talk. It annoyed her that Trish was so blind to what her daughter was doing, but she knew she shouldn't have been. If it had been Zana's daughter, she knew that she wouldn't want to admit that she had been doing wrong as well. When Trish went to reply, the teen simply continued. "Look, Trish, I know it's hard to believe, but you can't deny it for much longer. Your daughter...she's got something about her. Something is making her take these children, whether we like it or not."

"Get out," she shook her head.

"You have to have seen the drawings move, Trish," Zana spoke softly.

"I haven't seen anything..."

"Yes, you have," the Doctor jumped to Zana's defense, "out of the corner of your eye."

"No-"

"And you dismissed it, because what choice do you have when you see something you can't possibly explain?" He took a few steps so he was stand nose to nose with the woman. "You dismiss it, right? And if anyone mentions it, you get angry, so it's never spoken of, ever again."

"She's a child!"

"And you're terrified of her," he countered as Zana watched the girl in question. Chloe was simply watching the interaction with boredom. "But there's nowhere to turn to, because who's going to believe the things you see out of the corner of your eye? No one." The Doctor's voice grew soft, "Except me."

Trish gulped and looked into his eyes, "Who are you?"

The Doctor reached out and took the woman's hands into his as Zana took a deep breath. "I'm help."

~*~*~*~*~

A/N: Oooh.


	20. Fear Her Pt. 2

Rose followed the Doctor down the stairs, towards the kitchen as Trish followed behind absently. The concerned mother's mind was too busy trying to sort through the millions of thoughts running through it to notice the Time Lord sticking his fingers into the jar of marmalade from her kitchen counter. She hardly even noticed when Rose got onto him for it. What she did notice, though, was the brunette woman stepping past her. Zana was standing before the Doctor in no time, her mind obviously set on what had just happened. 

"When Chloe draws people, they end up in the drawing," Trish watched as Zana frowned up at the lanky man. "All of those pictures...they're alive. How is that even possible?"

"Ionic energy," the Doctor replied simply enough as he folded his arms across his chest. "Chloe's harnessing it to steal those kids and place them in some kind of holding pen made up of ionic power."

"And what about the dad from hell in her wardrobe?" Rose raised a questioning eyebrow.

"How many times do I have to tell you," Trish finally spoke up. She couldn't wrap her head around this whole situation. "He's dead!"

Rose resisted the urge to roll her eyes at the woman as she turned away. "Well, he's got a very loud voice for a dead bloke."

"If living things can become drawings, then maybe drawings can become living things," the Doctor murmured before Trish had the chance to retort. The three women looked at him as he shivered, having obviously spooked himself. "Chloe's real dad is dead, but not the one who visits her in her nightmares. That dad seems very real. That's the dad she's drawn and he's a heartbeat away from crashing into this world. 

Trish looked over at him, "She always got the worst of it when he was alive."

"You still haven't answered me, Doctor," Zana's voice was soft and full of concern, which Trish couldn't help but appreciate. "How can Chloe be doing any of this? She's only a twelve-year-old girl."

"Let's find out," he blinked, pulling himself from his thoughts as he looked over at her. Zana was quick to follow him back up the stairs, to the young girl's room. Just as she went to open Chloe's bedroom door, the Doctor stepped in front of her, effectively stopping the teen.

"What?" She looked up to meet his gaze. All she wanted to do was to figure out how to fix Chloe and save the missing children.

"Let me go first," he murmured quietly as he slowing turned the door handle. Zana swore that he was trying to annoy her on purpose. Why else would he stop her? Why else would he be so painstakingly difficult about this? 

But, she had no choice but to follow his lead. After all, he was the only one who could stop all of this. Or at least she hoped he could. So, she watched as he stepped into the room. The small group was greeted by Chloe, sitting on the end of her bed, holding up the Vulcan salute that the man himself had been showing her not too long ago. 

"Nice one," he complimented with a soft smile as he stepped up to the young girl. Zana watched curiously as he pressed his fingertips to her temples, but she most certainly wasn't prepared to see Chloe's eyes roll back as she fell unconscious. Her eyes widened as he laid her back on her bed. "There we go..."

"I can't let him do this-" Trish stepped forward, rightfully worriedly, but Rose grabbed her arm.

"Shush, it's okay," Rose offered her a comforting smile. "Trust him."

"Now we can talk," the Time Lord stood back.

"What the hell is he doing?" Zana whispered into Rose's ear. She had no idea that he was able to do such a thing. And it seemed the Rose didn't either because she simply shrugged. "You mean you don't know?"

"No idea," she muttered.

"Oh, great," Zana leaned her head back, exasperated. She had to admit, Rose's trust for him was through the roof. But so was her's, so she couldn't really talk, could she?

"I want Chloe," the young girl's voice had a whispery tone to it and was much different from Chloe's original voice. Zana looked on in wonder. "Wake her up. I want Chloe!"

"Who are you?" The Doctor ignored the creature's command.

"I want Chloe Webber!" The creature demanded again, this time slamming her hand down.

"What've you done to my little girl?" Trish asked tearfully.

Rose gulped, "Doctor, what is it?"

"I'm speaking to you, the entity that is using this human child," the Doctor walked around the girl's bed, his authoritative tone instantly recognizable. Zana has heard it so many times now, and she knew she'd never get used to it. "I request parley in compliance with the Shadow Proclamation."

"I don't care about shadows or parleys!"

"So what do you care about?"

"I want my friends."

A soft look covered his face as he crouched down next to the girl. "You're lonely, I know. Identify yourself."

"I am one of many. I travel with my brothers and sisters. We take an endless journey. A thousand of your lifetimes. But now I am alone. I hate it! It's not fair, and I hate it!"

"Name yourself!"

"Isolus," Chloe's eyes flew open.

The Doctor looked up, the realization written on his features. "You're Isolus. Of course..."

"Our journey began in the Deep Realms when we were a family," they watched as the Isolus began drawing at an inhuman speed. Zana moved to step forward, but the Doctor shot her a look almost before she had even decided to do so. She let out a soft sigh.

"What's that?" Trish pondered, nodding towards the drawing.

"The Isolus Mother, drifting in deep space," the Doctor stood to his feet and stepped towards her. "See, she jettisons millions of fledgling spores. Her children. The Isolus are empathic beings of intense emotions, but when they're cast off from their mother, their empathic link, their need for each other, is what sustains them. They need to be together," his voice softened as Zana looked on sadly. After seeing so many things use people for their own selfish needs...after seeing things like the Cybermen or the Weeping Angels feed off people for the mere sake of destruction...it broke her heart to see this alien, this...Isolus using Chloe, simply because it was alone. "They cannot be alone."

"Our journey is long..." the Isolus spoke. 

"The Isolus children travel, each inside a pod. They ride the heat and energy of solar tides. It takes thousands and thousands of years for them to grow up."

"Thousands of years just floating through space..." Rose watched, sadness in her eyes as well. "Poor things. Don't they go mad with boredom?"

"We play," it answered.

"You...play?" She stepped forward as the Doctor sat down beside Chloe. Zana looked on, her eyes fixed on the Doctor. She couldn't get rid of this weird nagging at the back of her mind. There was something different about the way he spoke about the Isolus. She understood that this situation deserved sympathy...but there was something else there with the Doctor. Something she couldn't name.

"While they travel, they play games," the Doctor explained to Rose softly. "They use their ionic power to literally create make-believe worlds in which to play."

"In-flight entertainment."

"Helps keep them happy," he shrugged slightly. "While they're happy, they can feed off each other's love. Without it, they're lost." He looked down at the drawing creature, "Why did you come to Earth? 

"We were too close," it informed before quickly drawing a new picture. 

"That's a solar flare from your sun," the Doctor explained, nodding towards the new drawing. "Would have made a tidal wave of solar energy that scattered the Isolus pods."

"Only I fell to Earth. My brothers and sisters are left up there, and I cannot reach them. So alone." 

"Your pod crashed. Where is it?"

"My pod was drawn to heat, and I was drawn to Chloe Webber. She was like me, alone. She needed me, and I her."

"You empathized with her," he began stroking her hair softly, trying to comfort her. There was something about the way he did it that really struck a chord with the brunette. It all seemed...natural to him...like he'd done all this before. It was almost paternal...

"Oh my god..." The realization hit Zana so quickly she actually stumbled back. She couldn't believe it. Oh, Doctor...her poor Doctor...you're always so full of things to say, but you never really talk, do you? You keep all the things that matter hidden away, out of sight, so that maybe it wouldn't hurt as much. Didn't you know that she was there for you? 

"...you wanted to be with her because she was alone like you."

"I want my family. It's not fair!"

"I understand. You want to make a family. But you can't stay in this child. It's wrong. You can't steal any more friends for yourself."

"I am alone."

A loud crash from Chloe's wardrobe made Zana and Trish jump. They turned to see the same red glow from before emitting from the closed door.

"I'm coming to hurt you! I'm coming!" The voice that Zana now knew belonged to Chloe's father filled the air, causing the young girl to start shaking, almost violently. 

"Trish, how do you calm her?" The Doctor called to the distraught mother.

"What?" Trish gulped.

"When she has nightmares, what do you do?"

"I-I-"

"What do you do?" He demanded.

"I sing to her!"

"Then start singing!" He stood up, allowing her to take his place. Zana and Rose quickly stepped back, trying to get away from the demented closet. Blimey, demented closets. Zana still had to remind herself that this is her life now.

"Chloe, I'm coming!" The voice shouted as Trish began to sing. 

"Kookaburra sits in the old gum tree. Merry, merry king of the bush is he-"

"Chloe! Chloe! Chloe! Chloe!" Zana gulped as the voice and the banging grew louder, subconsciously reaching for Rose's hand. 

"...laugh, Kookaburra, laugh, Kookaburra, gay your life must be. Laugh, Kookaburra, laugh, Kookaburra, gay your life must be..."

Seconds after her mother stopped singing, Chloe's eyes drifted shut as sleep overtook her. Trish instantly pulled her daughter close. "He came to her because she was lonely..." Her voice broke as tears formed in her eyes. "Chloe, I'm sorry..."

~*~*~*~*~

Zana's hands were full of colored pencils as she stood in the doorway of Trish's living room. They had decided that gathering all of Chloe's pencils and pens were a start. The last thing they needed was for the Isolus to take something else. Or to create something else.

"Chloe usually got the brunt of his temper when he'd had a drink," Trish informed as she gathered the pencils next to the telly. "The day he crashed the car, I thought we were free. I thought it was over." 

"Did you talk to her about it?" Rose's voice was soft as she handed her the utensils she had found. 

"I didn't want to," Trish replied simply, taking Zana's collection.

"But maybe that's why Chloe feels so alone," Rose sat down on the couch, looking at Trish knowingly. "Because she has all these terrible dreams about her dad, but she can't talk to you about them."

"Her and the Isolus..." Zana looked up at the Doctor as he spoke. "Two lonely kids who need each other."

"And it won't stop, will it, Doctor? It'll just keep pulling kids in."

"It's desperate to be loved," he answered softly. "It's used to a pretty big family." 

Zana frowned, "How big?"

He looked down at her, "Say around four billion?"

~*~*~*~*~

"We need that pod," the Doctor informed the second the three of them stepped out of Trish's house and into the chilly air. Zana zipped up her jacket as she watched him shrug on his trench coat. Her head was full of questions for him, but she knew she'd have to wait until way later to ask them. Not that she'd even get answers to them. He's the Doctor, after all. 

"It crashed," Rose frowned. "Won't it be destroyed?

"Well, it's been sucking in all the heat it can. Hopefully, that should keep it in a fit state to launch," Zana had to jog to keep up with his long strides. "It must be close. It should have a weak energy signature that the TARDIS can trace. Once we find it, then we can stop the Isolus." The Doctor pulled out his TARDIS key and began to unlock the wooden doors to his time machine as Zana and Rose stood back patiently. "We can scan for the same trace that I picked up from the scribble creature. We'd need to widen the field a bit."

Zana watched as the Doctor and Rose rushed inside as he got the door open, but something was holding her back. She could have sworn that they were being watched...

"Hello?" She called out, pushing a piece of stray hair behind her ear. "Hello? Someone there?" A shuffling noise made her turn around, but all she caught sight of was a quick flash of purple. "Chloe-"

"Zana! Come on!" The Doctor popped his head out of the TARDIS door, turning her attention back to the task at hand. "We've gotta hurry."

"Sorry," she shook her head, stepping into the ancient box. She shrugged off her jacket and made her way to the captain's chair. The teen took a seat next to Rose, whose hands were full of different parts and bits to god knows what.

"You alright?" Rose asked softly, glancing over at her. 

"I'm fine," Zana shrugged, leaning back and stretching out her arms. And she honestly was. Compared to their past adventures, this was a walk in the park, it seemed. No running, no horrific accidents, no death. She was relieved that today was so calm. "I'm not the one holding all of the Doctor's spare parts."

Rose laughed as the man himself stepped up to them, oblivious to their conversation. He was holding some sort of makeshift machine in one hand and was digging in his jacket pocket with the other. They watched him with curiosity as he moved to stand next to Zana.

"Open," the Doctor spoke without so much as looking up at the teen. 

Zana raised an eyebrow, "What?" 

"Open," he simply repeated. With a quick glance at Rose, who merely shrugged, Zana opened her mouth slightly. The Time Lord popped a piece of gum onto her tongue as if he'd done it a thousand times before. A small laugh escaped Zana's lips as she shook her head with what she could only describe as adoration. She'd never get used to his antics, would she?

"You knew the Isolus was lonely before it told you," Rose spoke up casually as the Doctor nudged her from her spot on the captain's chair. "How?"

"I know what it's like to travel a long way on your own. Give me the styner-magnetic," when Rose simply raised an eyebrow, he nodded towards her hands. "The thing in your left hand!"

"Sounds like you're on its side," Rose gave him a confused look, which only confused Zana. Wasn't she? How could she not be?

"I sympathize, that's all," the Doctor murmured.

The blonde frowned, "The Isolus has caused a lot of pain for these people."

"It's a child. That's why it went to Chloe. Two lonely mixed up kids."

"Feels to me like a temper tantrum because it can't get its own way."

"It's scared!" The Doctor looked up incredulously. "Come on, you were a kid once! Binary dot."

Rose held out a small round dot that was on her fingertip. "Yes, and I know what kids can be like. Right little...terrors."

The Doctor simply turned to Zana and held out his hand, "Gum."

"Aw," she pouted slightly but didn't argue. She spit it into his hand and watched as he pushed it into the device he was building. She thought it best to stay out of his and Rose's little discussion.

"I've got cousins," Rose mumbled. "Kids can't have it all their own way. That's part of being a family."

"What about trying to understand them?" He raised a questioning eyebrow.

"Easy for you to say," Rose leaned back on the console. "You don't have kids."

"I was a dad once."

And there it was. So she had been right. So casually announced, almost without a care in the Universe. She knew that it had taken a lot for him to say that. Oh, Doctor...

"What did you say?" Rose's eyes widened in disbelief as the Doctor stood from his spot.

"I think we're there!" His two companions watched with sadness as he walked around the console. "Fear, loneliness. They're the big ones, Rose. Some of the most terrible acts ever committed have been inspired by them. We're not dealing with something that wants to conquer or destroy," the monitor beeped softly as he ranted, so Rose sighed and pointed to it. "There's a lot of things you need to get across this universe. Warp drive, wormhole refractors. You know the thing you need most of all? You need a hand to hold!" He looked over to see Rose's hand and let a huge grin cover his lips as he reached out and took it.

"No, Look, I'm pointing," Rose laughed happily, which actually put a smile on Zana's face.

"It's the pod!" He announced loudly, his grin widening as Zana stood from her spot. "It is in the street. Everything's coming up Doctor!" Zana and Rose shared a look before following him out of the blue box, "Okay. It's about two inches across. Dull grey, like a gull's egg. Very light."

"All of that stuff about love is just poetics, right?" Zana asked as she made sure to walk a few feet in front of him. Jogging to keep up with him was just ridiculous. "All it needs is heat. Right? Doesn't the little pod just need heat, Doctor?" A loud crash filled the air, making her jump in surprise. She spun around and was greeted by the sight of the Doctor's little device on the ground in a million little pieces. But there was no Doctor or Rose. "Doctor?" She looked around in disbelief, only to find that the TARDIS had disappeared as well. "Rose? Doctor!"

~*~*~*~*~

Zana had never run so fast in her life. There was no way she was going to let that Isolus take the Doctor and Rose away from her. And the TARDIS? That was her home now. They were everything to her, and now they were gone. But not for long. She was going to save them, even if she had no idea how. She owed it to them. So, she raced down the street towards Trish's house and banged on the door as hard as she could until the woman herself opened it for her.

"It's okay. I've taken all the pencils off her!" Trish called after the distressed teen as she raced up the stairs, towards the young girl's room. Zana paid no mind to her though, because obviously, she hadn't taken all the bloody pencils, had she?

"Chloe!" Zana pushed open the bedroom door and rushed inside. The brunette snatched a drawing from the girl's hands, and actually seeing her friends and her home drawn on that piece of yellow paper...it brought tears to her eyes. An overwhelming feeling of hopelessness consumed her. They were there...they were stuck...they needed her to save them. But she wasn't sure she could...

"Leave me alone!" The whispery tone of the Isolus tore her eyes from the paper. "I want to be with Chloe Webber. I love Chloe Webber!"

"Give them back to me," Zana's voice shook with anger, anger that she hadn't felt in a very long time. She had done nothing but pity the Isolus, but now, she could not care less what happened to it.

"No."

She gripped the young girl's shoulders and bent down to her level, "Do you really not understand how absolutely unreasonable you are being right now? The Doctor was the one man who could get you home! You have to being him and Rose back! Please!"

"Leave me alone! I love Chloe Webber!"

Zana took a deep breath and closed her eyes. She could almost hear the Doctor trying to calm her down...she could almost feel Rose taking her hand and soothing her. They needed her now more than ever. Anger would resolve nothing. The Doctor had taught her that.

"I understand..." Zana tried to offer the young girl a smile, but the crack in her voice showed her true feelings. She looked down at the drawing of her friends and fought back the oncoming tears. Why couldn't she be strong like them? Why is she struggling to stay together? "Doctor, Rose...I promise you I will get you back, alright? Just bear with me..." She carefully sat the piece of paper on Chloe's bed and turned to Trish. "Please, please, don't leave her alone, Trish. I've got to go find the Isolus's pod."

With that, she took off out of the room and down the stairs, finally letting the tears fall down her cheeks. Once she was outside, she leaned against the house and let her mind wander. She had a whole street to look around for a spaceship the size of a gull's egg, as the Doctor had so poetically described. How the hell would she find it in time? It was like the Universe was against her...

"Heat..." she murmured as she wiped a few stray tears from her cheeks, which she was sure were bright red. "Heat...heat..."

"Look at this finish!" The councilman from earlier that day, Kel, if she remembered correctly, called out. She sniffled as she looked over at him, crouched over a freshly tarmacked pothole. "Smooth as a baby's bottom. Not a bump or a lump!"

Hold on a minute...heat...

"Kel?" Zana pushed herself off the house and dashed over to the man, who was too busy gushing over his work to really take notice of her. "Kel, hey-"

"I mean, you can eat your dinner off this!" He beamed up at the teen. "Beautiful! So you tell me why the other one's got a lump in it when I gave it the same love and craftsmanship as I did this one!"

"Look, I'd love to hear it when you figure it out, but I need you to concentrate. Six days ago, what was happening? What were you doing?"

"Six days. When I was laying this the first time round," Kel informed with a satisfied nod.

Zana felt herself become giddy. She had been right! "Sorry, say that again. What had you been doing?"

Kel gave her a strange look, but she didn't mind. "Well, that's when I filled in this pothole for the first time."

"Six days ago."

"Yeah."

She laughed and clapped her hands together excitedly, "Hot tar! Hot, fresh tar!"

Kel grinned proudly, "Blended to a secret council recipe."

Zana returned his grin and looked around for something heavy enough for what she had to do. The excitement was bubbling in her chest as an idea struck her. She was going to dread doing it to poor Kel, but all the same, it would bring her friends back. A small sacrifice, right? 

"I don't keep it in the van!" Kel called to the brunette as she rushed towards Kel's council van. "Hey, that's a council van. Out!" Of course, Zana ignored him and threw open the doors. Her eyes glanced around until she spotted it: a pickaxe. She quickly grabbed it and ran back to the freshly lain tarmac. "Whoa, wait, wait, wait. You just removed a council ax from a council van! Put it back. No, don't, wait! Put the ax back in the van. That's my van. Give me the ax!"

"Kel, I am so, so sorry," Zana gave him a soft smile before taking a deep breath and bringing the ax down onto the street below her. 

"No! Wait! No! No!" Kel's desperate pleas were in vain as Zana brought the ax down again. And again. And again. "You, stop! You just took a council ax from a council van and now you're digging up a council road! I'm reporting you to the council!"

Zana was too happy to care about his words and she threw the ax to the side. She bent down and dug around in the smashed tarmac until she spotted the small, silver ship. Her chest started to flutter with hope as she stood up and showed it to Kel.

"Look! Look at it! It was attracted to the heat, Kel! Ah!" She laughed and pulled him into a quick hug, which he returned awkwardly. She didn't mind, though. She was too happy to care.

"What is it?" Kel tried to get a better look at the little pod, but Zana would not stay still for the life of her. How could she? She had found it! How did she get so lucky?

"It's a spaceship," she looked up at Kel and gave him a cheeky smile. "Not a council spaceship, I'm afraid." Before Kel could say anything, she bent down and grabbed the ax before making a mad dash to Trish's house. She held the pod tightly in her hand as she pushed open the door with her shoulder and announced, "I've found it! Trish, I actually found it!" Trish greeted her with a happy smile as Zana walked through the living room. "I'm not too sure how to get the Isolus on board, thou- Hold on. Why aren't you with Chloe? I told you not to leave her alone!"

"My God!" A man's voice cried out on the television. Trish and Zana both turned their attention to the live coverage of the Olympics. "Er, what's going on here?"

"Oh my god..." Zana's happy mood dissipated at the sight before her. The complete Olympic stadium was empty. Everyone was gone...

"I don't care if you've got Snow White and the Seven Dwarves buried under there, you don't go digging up-" Kel's loud, annoyed tone filled the air as he stomped into the house, but Zana her fingers to her lips, shushing him. He gave her a weird look, probably because she was still holding onto his ax, but did as told.

"Look..." Her voice was soft with worry as she nodded towards the telly.

"The crowd has vanished! Um, they're gone! Everyone has gone! Thousands of people have just gone. Right in front of my eyes," the announcer was rightfully confused as the three of them looked on. "It's impossible. Bob, can we join you in the box? Bob? Not you too, Bob?" 

"It's not going to be enough," Zana broke the silence between them. "The Doctor said the Isolus has four billion siblings."

"What do we do?" Trish asked quietly.

"I...I don't know," Zana shook her head before pushing past Kel. She had to sort this out. "Chloe!" She shouted as she rushed up the stairs. "Chloe? Chloe, it's Zana!" She tried to turn the door handle, but to no prevail. "I need you to open the door! We found your pod! You can go home now!"

"Chloe?" Trish tried, moving to stand next to Zana.

"Open up! Please!" Zana was desperate. When the door didn't open, she took a deep breath. "Right, stand back."

"I'm coming to hurt you!" The voice of Chloe's dad made Zana shiver as she brought the ax back. She slammed it against the door, splintering the wood on impact. "I'm coming, coming to hurt you!" 

Zana let the ax fall to the floor as she reached inside and pushed aside the chair that was blocking the door handle. There was the young girl, busy at work drawing the planet Earth on her wall. "Chloe!"

"I'm coming to hurt you. I'm coming!"

"I have to stop her!" Zana went to move forward, but the closet doors rattled as a loud growl emitted from it. 

"If you stop Chloe Webber, I will let him out," the Isolus's gaze made Zana gulp. "We will let him out together! I cannot be alone! It's not fair!"

"I've got your pod!" Zana held at her hand to reveal the small spaceship, but the Isolus didn't seem affected by it at all.

"The pod is dead."

"It only needs heat!" She tried to reason a Kel slowly stepped into the room, fear written on his features.

"It needs more than heat."

"What else does it need!?" 

"I'm not being funny or nothing, but that picture just moved," Kel gulped, his eyes wide as he pointed to a familiar piece of yellow paper. "And that one!"

Zana grabbed the drawing off the bed with shaky hands. The Olympic torch was drawn on it now, and the Doctor and Rose were pointing to it. 

"She didn't draw that...the Doctor did..." She gulped as she shook her head. "It needs more than heat, Doctor..."

"...is still on its way. I suppose it's much more than a torch now, it's a beacon," Zana's attention was brought to the live coverage of the Olympic torch playing on Chloe's laptop. "It's a beacon of hope and fortitude and courage. And it's a beacon of love."

"Love..." the teen's eyes widened with realization. "More than poetic, I think!"

"...so let's have a look from the helicopter. There we go, the torchbearer running..."

"I know how to charge up the pod!" Zana exclaimed, sending one last look in Chloe's direction before pushing past the worried mother and the frightened councilman. When she made it outside, a large group of people were at the end of the street, cheering on the oncoming torch. She ran, apologizing to every person she pushed past.

"Sorry, you'll have to watch from here," a policeman gripped Zana's arm in a vice grip as she tried to get past the crowd.

"No, you don't understand, I've got to get closer!" Zana looked up at the man with pleading eyes. "Please!"

He simply scoffed, "No way."

"I have to! I have to!" Zana could feel the tears start to sting her eyes, but before they fell, a soft chirping filled her ears. She looked down to see the ship glowing brighter and brighter as the Olympic torch passed in front of them. "You can feel it, can't you?" She breathed with wonder as an idea came to her. She only had one chance to save them. She had to get this right. "Come on, my love..." She whispered to the small ship before tossing it into the air as hard as she could. Her eyes were glued onto the pod as it soared through the sky, towards the Olympic torch. "Come on...come on..." The pod flew forward, almost as if it was motivated by her words, and landed right in the flame of the torch. "Oh my god!"

"You did it!" Kel exclaimed as she spun around to face him.

"I did it!" She laughed and pulled him into a hug, but this time he returned it wholeheartedly. "Oh my god! Kel!"

"I can't believe that just happened!" He beamed as they spun around. "That was- wow!"

Zana's smile was so wide that her cheeks were starting to cramp up, but there was no way she was going to let it drop. She did it! She saved everyone! Not just the Doctor and Rose, but Danny and Dale and even the Isolus! When she pulled away from Kel, she made sure to keep a tight grip on his hand as she looked around the neighborhood. Parents were embracing their newly returned children and smiles were on everyone's faces. She kept thinking she'd see the Doctor and Rose wander down the street, hand in hand, but they never did. "Doctor..."

Instead of the Doctor, Maeve, the older woman from before, hobbled over to her and embraced her.

"I don't know who you are, or what you did, but thank you, darling!" Maeve leaned up and pressed a kiss to Zana's cheek. "And thank that couple for me too!"

Zana let her smile fall once the lady had gone. "Where are they, Kel? They should be here...All the drawings came to life..." Her eyes widened as she looked back towards Trish's house. Chloe's room was lit a bright red. "All of them...oh, no." She took off towards the house, but right before she made it to the door, it slammed in her face. "Trish, you have to get out of there!" She slammed her fist against the door.

"I can't!" Trish's voice was muffled. "The door's stuck!" 

"Is the Doctor and Rose in there?" Zana asked desperately.

"I don't think so!"

"Mummy..." Chloe's frightened voice had returned to normal.

"Chloe, I'm coming to hurt you!" Chloe's dad's voice was loud enough for even Zana to hear it. She was helpless. She couldn't do anything...

"Please, dad. No more..."

"Chloe!"

"Chloe, I need you to listen to me," Zana's voice was on the verge of breaking, but she had to be strong for them. It's what the Doctor would do. "This drawing isn't real like the others were. It's just residual energy from the Isolus, but you can get rid of it."

"Help us!" Trish's desperate voice made Zana gulp. She closed her eyes and leaned her head against the door.

"Listen to me, please!" The hopelessness feeling had returned to her chest. "He's only real because you are afraid of him. But you can end him!"

Chloe whimpered, "Mummy!"

"You can do this, Chloe!" 

"I can't!"

The monstrous voice of Chloe's father rang out again, sending shiver's down Zana's spine. "Chloe, I'm coming!"

"I can't! I can't!"

"I'm coming!"

"I can't..." Zana's heart shattered in her chest at the young girl's words. 

"I'm coming!"

"Mummy..."

"Chloe!"

Zana watched through the glass as Chloe slid down the door, terrified. 

"I'm with you, Chloe," Trish slid down the door as well and embraced her daughter tightly. "You're not alone. You'll never be alone again!"

"Wait a second..." Zana's eyes widened with realization. Trish had sung to her to get rid of her nightmares... "Hold on...Chloe! Chloe, sing! I need you to sing!"

"Chloe. Chloe. Chloe. Chloe. Chloe, I'm coming to hurt you! Chloe!"

"Sing! Come on!" Zana hit the door a few more times. "Please!"

"Merry, merry king of the bush is he...Laugh, Kookaburra, laugh, Kookaburra, gay your life must be," Trish and Chloe's voices started to rise as they sang. "Laugh, Kookaburra, laugh, Kookaburra, gay your life must be!" Zana slid down the door as the red glow started to disappear and let the emotions take over her. A sob left her lips as she buried her face into her hands. "Kookaburra sits in the old gum tree. Merry merry king of the bush is he. Laugh, Kookaburra, laugh, Kookaburra, gay your life must be..."

~*~*~*~*~

Once the tears had finally dried up and she had gotten her mind under control, Zana leaned her head back against Webbers' door. She didn't understand why the Doctor and Rose didn't show up. Surely she saved them if everyone else was saved...right? They had to have been unless the Universe was playing some sort of cruel joke on the brunette. 

"Maybe they've gone somewhere," Kel offered hopefully as if he had read her thoughts, making Zana look up at him. He gave her a soft smile as he held out a hand.

"They've got each other," she let out a shuddered breath as he helped her off of the ground. "It's always been the Doctor and Rose."

He gave her shoulder a soft squeeze before leading her into the warmth of Trish and Chloe's home. The two of them were standing in front of the telly, watching as the torch was being carried into the Olympic stadium.

"They've returned. They've reappeared! It's quite incredible. Bob, this will certainly..."

"Eighty thousand people," Zana breathed as she folded her arms across her chest. Perhaps the Universe was really that cruel. "So where's the Doctor and Rose? I need them...I need him." 

Voicing it aloud made it real. Her feelings for the Doctor grew stronger and stronger every day, but she hadn't even admitted it to herself, let alone another person. 

"But hang on, the Torch Bearer seems to be in a bit of trouble...We did see a flash of lightning earlier that seemed to strike him. Maybe he's injured. He's definitely in trouble..." the small group watched somberly as the torchbearer fell to the ground, obviously in pain. "Does this mean that the Olympic dream is dead?"

Zana was about to turn away. She was done with this whole night. She was done with the Universe. But she really ought to know better by now. 

"Doctor..." She breathed as a trench coat-clad arm reached down to pick up the fallen torch. 

"There's a mystery man. He's picked up the flame!" They watched with huge smiles on their faces as the Doctor ran with the flame. "We've no idea who he is. He's carrying the flame! Yes, he's carrying the flame and no one wants to stop him! It's more than a flame now, Bob. It's more than heat and light. It's hope, and it's courage, and it's love."

~*~*~*~*~

The sun had long since set once Zana stepped out of Trish and Chloe's home for the last time, this time bearing gifts for her two friends. Children were playing out in their gardens as their parents watched lovingly, the relief of having their kids back written all of their faces. She was so engrossed with the happiness surrounding her that she nearly missed her two friends walking down the street, hand in hand. With a huge, relieved smile of her own, she dashed out onto the road behind them.

"I'm happy to see that you can join me tonight," Zana spoke up, making them turn around. "I was starting to think you wouldn't make it back. But I got you these just in case."

The smiles on the Doctor and Rose's made Zana's heart flutter as she held out the small cakes Trish had gifted to her.

"Top banana!" The Doctor grinned as Rose stepped forward pulled her into a hug. "Mmm. I can't stress this enough! Ball bearings you can eat, masterpiece!"

"I really thought I had lost you both," Zana buried her face into Rose's neck, becoming overwhelmed with relief and with all of the feelings that she had endured through the day. 

"Never," Rose pulled back and gave Zana a soft, comforting smile. 

"Not on a night like this," the Doctor added and subtly reached out, taking Zana's hand into his own. "This is a night for lost things being found. Come on!"

Zana frowned. All she wanted was to go home, "What is it now, Doctor?" 

"I want to go to the Games! It's what we came for!" He grinned down at her as Rose looped her arm through hers. 

"Go on, give us a clue," Rose gave the Doctor a cheeky smile. "Which events do we do well in?"

"Well, I will tell you this," he spoke around his mouthful of cake. "Papua New Guinea surprises everyone in the shot put."

"Really? You're joking, aren't you?" Rose laughed. "Doctor, are you serious, or are you joking?"

"Wait and see," he nudged Zana and in turn, nudged Rose.

"You know what?" Rose looked lovingly at her best friends as they were illuminated by the fireworks in the sky. "They keep on trying to split us up, but they never ever will."

"Never say never ever," the Doctor looked over his companions with an unrecognizable look in his eyes.

"Nah, we'll always be okay, us three," Rose leaned her head against Zana's shoulder. "Don't you reckon, Zana?"

"I really, really hope so," Zana chuckled, squeezing the Doctor's hand. She was at ease. The three of them together, as it should be...as hopefully it always will be.

"There's something in the air," the Doctor's voice was soft, a big contrast from his earlier happier tone. "Something coming."

"What?" His companions frowned at his words. Where had that even come from?

"A storm's approaching..."

~*~*~*~*~

When the Doctor had nothing else to do besides sit with his own thoughts, he usually tried to preoccupy himself so he didn't have to do that. Zana had figured that out pretty early on in their travels. So, when she and Rose needed to rest between adventures, he was usually in the console room or his workroom, distracting him from himself. She knew that was where she'd find him. Rose had long since retired to the library in an attempt to settle down from the day's adventures, so she thought it best not to disturb her. Zana had tried to catch up on the book that she had been reading, but her mind wouldn't calm down long enough to let her do so. She was on an infinite spaceship with only one thought on her mind: she needed the Doctor.

"Zan!" The most beautiful smile covered his lips and his eyes lit up as she stepped into the dimly lit control room. She wordlessly walked up to him and wrapped her arms around his neck in a tight embrace. "Well hello," he chuckled, returning the hug happily. 

"Don't ever leave me like that again," her voice broke as she buried her face into his neck. "I thought I had lost you and Rose...I was so scared..."

"I know," his tone was soft with understanding. Tears started to sting Zana's eyes once more, but she refused to let them fall. She had cried enough today. 

"I didn't know what to do...After I had managed to fix one thing, another thing replaced it. And once everyone came back, and you weren't there? I thought I did something wrong. I...I-" she sniffled, pulling herself closer to him. "I thought I had managed to lose you forever."

"I'm so sorry..." his fingertips ran up and down her back in an attempt to comfort his distressed companion. "But look at what you did. You saved the entire world today, Zana Kline!" He gently pulled back from her so he could meet her gaze. "I am so, so proud of you, Zan. So proud!"

Zana pushed her hair from her eyes and offered him a weak smile, "It's what you would have done."

His eyes lit up. "Thank you so much for saving Rose and me. And the TARDIS."

"How could I let the TARDIS just disappear?" Zana chuckled and laid her hand on the control panel. "She's my home now. I absolutely adore her."

"She adores you," he informed as a soft whirring filled the air. "And she thanks you as well."

"Hmm..." Zana's lips curled slightly. "But really, Doctor...I...not knowing where you and Rose were or if I'd ever see you two again...I don't want to feel like that ever again, you got that, mister?"

"Yes ma'am," he chuckled as he mocked a salute. "I promise to never be taken from you ever again."

She laughed and leaned against the console next to him. "And Rose. We can't lose our Rose."

"She's here to stay," he looked down at her. "Just as you are. I promise."

"I think you've proven that, Doctor," she nudged him slightly, absently leaning her head against his shoulder. Everything felt so natural with him. She didn't even realize what she was doing it half the time. 

"Good," he murmured. They sat in comfortable silence for a good few minutes before he leaned his head on hers and closed his eyes. At that moment, she knew what she had been denying for months now. She knew that she had gotten herself into a rut that would be almost impossible to climb out of. She understood Rose's strong devotion to the Doctor better than she ever had because, at that moment, she had figured it all out. She had gone and fallen in love with the Doctor. And she hated herself for it. "Thank you, Zana Kline."

"You don't have to thank me for saving you, you know," her voice was soft. She felt that, if she spoke any louder, she would say something she might regret. "You've saved my life too many times to count."

"I'm not thanking you for that," he informed gently. Just as she went to ask what he could mean by that, he reached down and laced his fingers with her. " Thank you for everything. Thank you for being here with me."

"I'll always be here for you, Doctor," she promised, not only to him, but to herself. 

The Doctor deserves the Universe, and although she may be a long shot from that, that didn't mean she wasn't going to try. And if that meant making sure that he and Rose got their happily ever after, then so be it. She cared too much about both of them to hurt them. 

~*~*~*~*~

A/N: Guys! I finally updated it! And it's a pretty loaded chapter! I desperately hope you enjoy it! Oh. And the next chapter is Army of Ghosts. I'm not emotionally prepared.


	21. Army of Ghosts

"Zana Kline...my darling, can you hear me?"

Of course she could. That voice had taken over her very thoughts and no matter how hard she tried to fend it off, it only returned, ten times stronger. It was exhausting. It was petrifying. It was hell. But it was her life now. And it was a small price to pay for traveling in the TARDIS.

"I'm trying to sleep..." Zana answered. She knew it was pointless. They never listened. "I had the longest day. Rose and I spent hours searching for the Doctor in some sort of space version of The House of Mirrors after he had gotten himself lost. I told him carnivals were never a good idea. My parents took me to one when I was little, and it was the worst day of my life. I dropped my ice cream and my mother rediscovered her fear of clowns. I still think that Dad had the whole trip planned as a way to remind me that our family didn't do such stereotypical things. We spent the majority of our time after that at the library. Not that I minded, I suppose. I love the library. Especially the one Dad took me to. It had the most beautiful mural on its ceiling of the constellations."

"That sounds lovely, Zana," the voice sounded patronizing. Zana knew that if she were awake, she would have rolled her eyes. "It really, really does. Where was this...space carnival?"

"Oh, I don't remember. It was called Geosulas or something. I was too focused on getting out of that bloody maze. Really, who invented that? Well, obviously it's a universal thing. But it's still god awful."

"Zana, you're rambling, darling. Listen to me. Where are you?"

"Where I always am. In the TARDIS."

"Where's the TARDIS?"

"Floating through the vastness that is our reality."

"Don't get smart with me."

"I'm afraid my brain is all I've got. And even that turns on me."

"Do you really not understand, Zana? Do you not see what has been happening? Use that brain of yours. I know you can figure it out."

"Figure what out? You can't say something like that without providing context. Are you implying that I know what you are? I've spent months trying to figure it out."

"Zana...my little Zana...listen. Work it out. You spent your entire life reading and learning and staying up to date with the world...You spent hours in that little library."

"Yeah...well, it seems it was all for nothing. Next to all the things I've seen and done? I know nothing."

"Don't you dare say that, Zana Kline. You are the most brilliant person I know."

She frowned. Since when did she ever think that about herself?

"Flattery...that's never been something I've been good at," Zana murmured.

"Perhaps not, love. But I've been doting on you your entire life. Your mother and I both have."

~*~*~*~*~

Zana woke with a start. She had barely even registered what had happened before she was jumping out of bed and rushing towards the control room. How did she not know? How the hell had she not worked it out? All these months of enduring the never-ending dreams and she had failed to recognize the voice of one of the people that meant the most to her. Her father's.

"Zana!" The Doctor's voice rang out, but she didn't pay any mind to the warm welcome. She got straight to business.

"I have to go home," she spoke quickly as she pulled her jacket on over her pajamas. "Right now."

"W-what?" She missed the slight crack in his voice. "Zana, what are you talking about?"

"I have to go home, Doctor," she repeated. "I just...I have to go back. Right now."

"Let's talk about this first, Zan," he reached out and took her hand. His movements were quick and...desperate?

"Talk about what, Doctor?" She shot him a confused look, but she didn't pull her hand away. "There's nothing to talk about."

"Did I do something?" His tone had changed drastically. "If I did something to upset you, Zana, please tell me so I can fix it."

"Doctor, what are you-"

"You can't go, Zana! I have a whole Universe to show you! There are planets that I've been dying to take you to. There's this one planet, it's called The Library. You'd love it! Every book ever written...it's all there, all for you."

"Doc-"

He gulped and met her gaze. She was instantly taken back by the emotion in his eyes, and it finally donned on her just how he might have perceived her words. Butterflies filled her stomach, and she physically had to keep herself from melting with adoration. God, this man will be the death of her.

"Oh, Doctor..." she gave his hand a squeeze as a smile formed on her lips. "No, Doctor, I didn't mean I was leaving, love. I just have to see my parents."

"Oh..." His voice squeaked slightly with embarrassment, but he kept his hand firmly in hers as if he was still afraid she'd disappear once he let go.

"It does make me feel good knowing how worked up you got, though," she teased as his face turned a light shade of pink. "Really, Doctor, that was quite the show."

He cleared his throat and rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly as he turned to the console, "Yeah, well...shut up. Anyway, why now? Why not wait until morning to see them?"

"I can't explain it," she lied, folding her arms across her chest. "But I promise to do the best I can when I get back, alright? Because I am coming back. How could you think that I'd ever leave you?" Her eyes widened at her words. "And the TARDIS?" She added, but it was too late. A wide smile was already playing at the Doctor's lips. "Oh, don't you start."

"I didn't say a word," he held his hands up in mock surrender before getting to work on the console.

"Is there really a planet called The Library?"

He groaned and leaned his head back while Zana smile shot him a cheeky grin, "I'm never going to hear the end of it, am I?"

"Never."

"Oh well," he grumbled, and he was about to say more, but the TARDIS jolted violently. Both he and his companion landed on the grated floor rather harshly. "Oi!"

"What the hell was that?" Zana groaned as she laid her head back, her body stinging with pain. "Ow...bloody hell, Old Girl."

"You alright?" The Doctor grunted quietly as he pulled himself off the floor. He cracked his neck before bending down to help Zana up.

"No," she swatted his hand away, closing her eyes. "It's just gonna happen again."

"I can promise it won't," he smiled slightly with amusement. "We've landed. Planet Earth. London, England. 2006 AD."

"Really? Did we really land?" She cracked open her left eye was immediately greeted by the Time Lord hovering over her. "Why did she land like that, Doctor?"

"No idea, I'm afraid. Perhaps she's in a mood. She does that every once and a while," he reached down, and this time Zana accepted his hand. He pulled her to her feet and wiped the nonexistent dust off her shoulders. "How long will you be gone? Do you want me to wait for you here or...?"

"Or what? Leave me?" She joked. Well, half-joked. She hoped he wouldn't leave her.

"Well, no, of course not. I just thought that...maybe you'd want me to go with you?" He suggested with a nervous tug of the ear. "Or, I don't have to. You know what? I'll just wait here for you."

"I'm sure that Rose would be confused if both of us were gone," she reasoned weakly. "Alright. I don't know when I'll be back exactly. A few hours, maybe? I'm sure I'm in for an earful."

"We'll be here," he patted the console with a warm smile.

Zana offered him a small wave before turning and walking towards the wooden doors of the spaceship. With a deep breath, she stepped outside, into the gray, damp city that is London.

"Home sweet home," she murmured sarcastically as she zipped up her jacket and let the doors close behind her. Just as she moved to take her first step away from the TARDIS, someone knocked into her roughly. What was going on today? Blimey! "Bloody hell!"

"My bad!" The man just kept on running, not even bothering to turn around as he dashed down the empty sidewalk. Zana thought she recognized something familiar about the stranger, but she soon decided she didn't have the time to sit and dwell on something so mundane. She had to see her parents. She had to know how her father had managed to reach out to her through all of space and time just to speak to her in her dreams. Surely that had to be impossible, right?

"Here we go..." She took a deep breath as she stuffed her hands into her pockets and began her walk to her home. For the first time in a long time, she felt...normal. A part of her felt like she had never stopped walking to and fro from school and the library and the small cafe she had deemed the 'The Best Cafe in the World' merely because of their chocolate chip scones. The normalcy of her old life came rushing back, and for a second she contemplated returning to the TARDIS. The Doctor would make quick work of reminding her just how vast the Universe was and how much of life she had truly missed while living her first eighteen years on Earth.

But her parents needed to know she was okay. She wished she had a good explanation as to why she never attempted to reach out to them. She genuinely wished she could give them a long, in-depth reason for her failure to communicate with them, but she had no reason. She had no explanation. All she had was a head full of new memories of different plants and different adventures, and she knew that that wouldn't be enough for them. If her father truly knew of the Doctor and the TARDIS like he had made out in her dreams, then no matter what she told him or her mother, they would know the truth. They would know just how much her life was on the line while traveling with the Time Lord. But how did they even know of him? Her mother worked at H.C. Clements in Chiswick as some sort of general manager, and her father was apart of some military base. She didn't know much about it besides that but she knew it was true that he had connections that many would be envious of, but even then...he had some explaining to do as well, it seemed. There was no way she was going to let them off without a few answers for her own.

~*~*~*~*~

The moment Zana spotted the half dozen military vehicles sitting in front of her parent's house, she knew she was in deep trouble. A few soldiers stood guard at the front door, while two more stood their ground on both ends of the pavement leading to her home. The entirety of the road was completely blocked off to pedestrians, and by the small crowds of confused neighbors, it had only happened recently. Oh, great. What did she come home to?

"Identification, ma'am," the stoic tone of the soldier's voice made her bit her lip. She never did do too well with confrontation.

"I'm afraid I don't have it on me," she averted her gaze to her shoes. Just looking at him gave her an uneasy feeling. "But I live on this block. I'm just trying to get home."

"I'm afraid that'll have to wait, ma'am."

"Why? What's going on?" She frowned, looking over his shoulder. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary besides the makeshift military base being put up in her garden. "Bloody hell..."

"I'm not at liberty to discuss the current situation, ma'am."

"Why not? I do believe that these people are entitled to know why they are being pushed out of their homes."

"They will be allowed to return as soon as possible. Until then, you are to wait outside of the designated military zones."

Her eyes narrowed at the man. Whatever the hell was going on, it wasn't good. And she was the center of all of it, which made her uneasy. Surely her father didn't do all of this because of her absence. It was unnecessary, in her opinion, because now she had to find a way to get into her own house. Great. Time to play Doctor.

"What's your name, soldier?" She murmured in an attempt to calm him down. It was obvious he took his job seriously, and by the look of him, he couldn't have been much older than herself. "I'm guessing you're a new recruit."

His eyes fell from their stare and he took a good look at her face. She offered him a smile. "Yeah, I am. How'd you know that?"

"Your age, your lack of badges, et cetera," she shrugged simply, pushing her hair from her eyes. "But I'm afraid I can't guess your name."

He gave her a good long look, "Private Jones."

She gave him a look, "Do I really look that daft? I meant the name you were christened as a child. I can read the Jones across your chest just fine."

The annoyance was written across his face, which didn't bother Zana one bit. She got a kick out of things like this, despite the nervous feeling in her stomach. If she said one wrong thing, she was done for.

"If I tell ya my name, you have to tell me yours," he informed, and she noticed that the stoic tone had faded slightly. So it was working!

"Deal," she nodded.

He shifted slightly in his spot as he moved his gun from one hand to the other. She kinda felt bad for the man. She'd hate to lug that thing around for hours on end. "My name's Evan. Evan Jones."

"Nice to meet you, Evan Jones," she offered him her hand to shake. "I'm Zana Kline."

As soon as her name left her lips, it was like a switch had been flipped. His eyes grew wide and he instantly stood straighter. "Zana Kline? Daughter of General Kline?"

The teen let out a low whistle at that to hide her shock. "General? My father's a general? Really? Huh...That tells you how much I know, eh?"

He instantly put his hand up in a salute, "Ma'am."

"Oh, please don't do that," she waved him off awkwardly. "Please...I don't deserve it, Private Jones. I'm just his daughter. He's the one who's done all the hard work. Speaking of which, am I still not allowed to know what the hell is happening in my garden? I just popped by to see my parents. Are they home?"

"Yes, ma'am, they are."

"Zana."

"What?"

"My name's Zana."

"Oh. Right. Sorry, ma'am."

She shook her head and sighed. Why does she even try? "Brilliant. Can I see them? Surely if I can't go home, you can get them for me."

He brought his bottom lip between his teeth as he seemed to contemplate the brunette's words. She watched him patiently as he sent a quick glance in her house's direction, and just as she went to speak again, he lifted the tape that was blocking off the street. "There you are, ma'am."

"Thanks, Private Jones," she grinned as she stepped under the tape. "I owe you one, love."

A small smile formed on his lips, but it fell almost as soon as it started. "No problem."

Zana chuckled as she turned and began to trek towards her house. Once she had gotten past the maze of vehicles, she made her way up the small walkway to her front door. She tried to act like she belonged there, which she found extremely odd, because this was, after all, her home.

"ID, ma'am," one of the guards instantly said before she even stepped onto the first step.

"Zana Kline," she informed calmly, and just as Private Jones, they straightened and stepped out of the way of the front door. She smiled widely at the two of them before stepping onto the wooden floor on which she had learned to walk. On which she had accidentally dropped her mum's favorite vase. On which she grew up. The house was abuzz with chatter. People she didn't recognize were rushing about without so much as taking notice of the teen. "Mum! Dad!"

And like that, it all stopped. The woman who had been walking in front of her dropped the handful of papers she had been carrying, and the man behind her had his mouth hanging open in surprise. Zana watched them, waiting for them to speak, but they never did.

"Hello," she cleared her throat awkwardly. "Um...have you seen Carlisle and Cynthia? I need to talk to them."

"Uh...uh..." the woman blinked a few times before seeming to regain her thoughts. "Um, yes! I do believe they are in the dining room."

"Thank you," she nodded and walked past them. Just before she entered the room her parents were residing in, she took a deep breath and closed her eyes. You can do this, Zana. It's just your parents.

And with that, she stepped inside. Her eyes instantly took to the differences of the room, and her heart squeezed in her chest slightly. It had been converted into some sort of...research center. Papers were strewn all over and the table was buried with books and photographs. And at the center of all of it was Carlisle Kline. He had yet to look up from the photograph he had taken in interest in, so Zana cleared her throat.

"Yes, what is it?" He sighed, but he still didn't look up. What the hell was he looking at?

"Father..." Zana spoke softly, her nerves getting the best of her. She watched as his head snapped up and a look of disbelief covered his features. "Hello, dad. I'm back."

"Zana..." His voice was breathy as he stood from his seat. She instantly took notice of his uniform. She wasn't used to seeing him in it, but there was an air of authority surrounding him that she felt he deserved. "It's really you..."

"Last I checked," she joked softly. A wide smile broke out on her face as she rushed forward and threw her arms around him."Oh, dad, I've missed you so much!"

"Zana, oh, my darling..." He held her close as he rested his chin on top of her head. "It worked...it really worked! You're back!"

"Of course I'm back," she pulled back and got a good look at him. He had dark bags under his eyes and his eyes themselves were bloodshot. Other than that, her father looked just as he had the day she left. "You didn't expect me to stay gone, did you?"

"I expected you to be dead," he whispered, and she could have sworn she saw tears gather in his eyes. "I thought...Zana, I really thought your mother and I had lost you."

Zana had to look away. Guilt was eating at her consciousness just by looking at him. Why didn't she call them? "I'm so sorry...I didn't think...I..."

"Shh," he pulled her into another embrace. Zana's eyes fluttered close as she allowed herself to be held by her father, and before she even realized she was crying, he was already wiping away her tears.

~*~*~*~*~

Cynthia Kline was a patient woman. She spent her days researching and dealing with things that the average human would not believe, so she sort of had to be. All her life she was told she wouldn't achieve much, and when she had Zana at only eighteen years old, people were quick to tell her she had thrown her life away, even though she had been accepted into one of the most virtuous universities in the entire country. The only person to ever fully have her back was her husband, and the love of her life, Carlisle Kline. They married on the sixteenth of October, 1987, all the while she was pregnant with their first and only child. It was only about three weeks later that she gave birth to her beautiful daughter, and a few months after that, she dropped out of university to accept a job offer from the one place she was destined for: Torchwood.

She started as a mere intern, but interns at Torchwood were given responsibilities far beyond one's imagination. She remembered the first time she held a piece of alien technology in her hands...it changed her perspective on reality completely. But she wasn't the only one with ties to extraterrestrial life. Carlisle was already a member of UNIT when their paths had crossed. At first, he had tried to suggest that she join him at the Taskforce, but he could see the light in her eyes whenever she spoke about the secret special ops that was Torchwood. He worked nonstop to get her a job there, and when he finally succeeded, they were on top of the world. Carlisle absolutely adored hearing his wife's stories of her research, and Cynthia absolutely loved it when her husband came home bearing gifts from his trips across the world as a UNIT officer. By the time Zana was old enough to start understanding the world around her, they had climbed to the top of their respectable ranks. Their lives had turned into something even they had trouble believing. Everything was perfect.

Now, let's get back to Zana. Their little girl. She was the one thing in this world they would kill and die for. She was the reason they strove for such excellence. They worked to better the chances of humanity's survival in a Universe full of alien threats so that Zana could live and prosper in a world safe from harm, all the while keeping it a secret from her. Not that it was hard to do. Their daughter mostly stuck to herself and let life happen to her, something they took notice of very early on. She didn't really question how they spent their time so long as they returned at the end of the day. Cynthia still didn't fully understand how a person as intelligent as her Zana was oblivious to the world around her. One time she had accidentally left a whole file of her research on Huon Particles right on the dining room table, and on the front of it, in big, bold letters was 'TORCHWOOD: CLASSIFIED'. Her daughter walked past them all day without so much as spotting them. And that was last year. It was almost like Zana lived in her own head. She had friends, of course, but her parents felt that they were merely a social element. After all, they rarely come to their home, and Zana wasn't exactly one to spend her weekends out on the town. Not that they minded. They loved having her around.

But then, out of absolutely nowhere...

~*~*~*~*~

"Your school exploded," Carlisle spoke up, making Zana jump slightly. She wasn't expecting him to speak. After all, he and her mother had been just staring at her for what felt like an eternity. Every time she tried to speak, they'd silence her with a wave of their hand. She felt like a complete child, and she supposed that to them, she was.

"Um...yes," Zana cleared her throat as she played with her fingers nervously. She was always slightly intimidated by her parents. "Sorry about that. It was the only way to stop them."

Cynthia raised a questioning eyebrow, "Stop who, Zana? Are you saying you're responsible for the explosion?"

"Well, not directly, I suppose," she muttered. "Sarah Jane's dog was."

The name Sarah Jane seemed to resonate with her father. He ran a hand down his face and let out an almost knowing sigh. "Sarah Jane Smith? I should have known."

"You know her?" Zana instantly sat up in her chair. She knew she had heard the woman's name before the moment she met her! "She told me to tell you hi, but I got distracted, I suppose...Mickey was just invited on board."

"Sarah Jane Smith is a crucial intelligence officer at UNIT, whether she likes it or not."

"UNIT?" She frowned. What the hell was he going on about?

"All of this? The soldiers, the jeeps out front? It's part of UNIT, sweetheart. The UNifed Intelligence Taskforce."

"What does UNIT do?" She pondered. "My whole life you let me think you were just in the military. You never once mentioned you were part of special ops. Hell, you're one of the people in charge of this special ops!"

"You never asked," he replied simply. He took a seat in front of her and clasped his hands together, but her mum stayed standing.

"I'm asking now," Zana leaned forward. "What does UNIT do, father?"

"You really want to know?"

"If I didn't, I wouldn't have asked," she stood her ground.

"Alright, then." His daughter's bolder attitude didn't go unnoticed, not one bit. Part of him knew that it was the Doctor's doing, and he wasn't too sure how to feel about that. "UNIT deals with paranormal and extraterrestrial threats to planet Earth."

"You deal with aliens? Is that how you know the Doctor?" Zana frowned slightly. "If you know the Doctor, how could you ever tell me that being with him is no good? That man...the Doctor...he's changed my life, Dad. For the better."

"You had a marvelous life here, Zana," Cynthia spoke up weakly. It broke her heart knowing that her daughter found happiness away from her home. Away from her family.

Zana met her mother's gaze and felt her heart squeeze in her chest, "That's not what I meant, Mum...Being with him and Rose, it's opened doors I didn't know were there. They showed me that there's more to life than what meets the eye."

"Do you know what that man's track record is, Zana?" Her father's gaze had hardened. "His companions, as they're called...what happens to them once they leave the TARDIS?"

"Sarah Jane seems to be doing just fine," she retorted bluntly. She understood their concern. She understood that they wanted what was best for her. But they didn't understand that the Doctor is what's best for her.

"Zana-"

"No, I'm not going to hear it," she interrupted. "You don't get it, do you? I love you two, so, so much. You are wonderful parents and I am extremely grateful for the life you've given me, but now that I'm finally doing something with it besides having my head buried in a textbook, it's almost like you can't stand it! Do you know how many times I've witnessed the Doctor save a life? Do you realize that, since I've been with him, that I've saved lives? I saved the world, Dad!" She looked at her mother proudly. "I saved the entire world, Mum! All because of the Doctor..." Her eyes started to water as her voice started to quiver. "Losing him...it's something I don't like to think about."

Tears were forming in her eyes, but she was far too upset to care. She fully expected her parents to be cross with her for not telling them where she had been, but she never even considered that they wouldn't want her to travel with the Time Lord. He was everything to her now, although she had tried so hard to keep her feelings at bay...

"Zana..." Her mum's comforting tone pulled her from her thoughts as she looked up to see her holding out a hand to the brunette. Zana gave her a questioning look but allowed her mother to pull her out of her seat, letting out a small, surprised yelp when she pulled her into a tight embrace.

"Mum..." Zana closed her eyes and let her head fall against her mum's shoulder when the realization hit her. Of course her mother knew. Why wouldn't she? Zana was very fortunate to grow up with two parents that were very much in love with one another, so why shouldn't her mother spot when she had gone and fallen in love herself? "I...I can't lose them...Please, please, you have to understand..."

"I know, I know..." Her mother soothed gently as she and Carlisle shared a heartrending look. "Zana...I'm so sorry..."

"Why don't you trust him?" She murmured, her voice cracking with emotion.

"It's not that we don't trust him, Zana," Carlisle's tone was soft with sympathy. "The Doctor has proven to be a valuable asset to UNIT and mankind. He's a great man, and one day I wish to meet him and thank him for all of his work, but you have to understand that all great things come at an even greater price. And we're not losing you, Zana."

The teen hung her head as her guilt overcame her. She was completely torn. She wanted nothing more in this life than to spend it with the Doctor and Rose, but she owed her parents the entire Universe. They did everything for her. They raised her better than anyone could ever imagine and they always pushed her to be the very best in all she did...She had a moral duty to stay on Earth for them. 

"Look," Zana chewed on her bottom lip as she looked over both of her parents. "I don't have to go back to the TARDIS, but I don't have to stay here in London, either. And if I do stay here on Earth, I deserve to know just what my parents do when they aren't home, because frankly, the fact that my father is a bloody general for some secret military faction that deals with aliens and I didn't know about it is slightly outrageous." Zana turned to her mother and raised an eyebrow, "At least you were telling the truth, right, Mum?"

Carlisle and Cynthia shared a look, "Well-"

A ding filled the air. Zana didn't pay much mind to it, she just figured it was her father's mobile. It was always going off at the most random of moments.

"Well, what?" Zana raised a curious eyebrow. Please don't tell her that her mother had been hiding the truth too...

"I...do work at H.C. Clements," Zana let out a breath of relief at her mother's words. "Sometimes."

"Sometimes?" The teen repeated with a frown. "How can you work there sometimes?"

"If that's where I am needed, then that's where I go," Cynthia cleared her throat slightly.

"What do you mean, 'needed'? What are you going on about, Mum?"

"Zana-" Another ding. "Look, I'll explain it all later, alright?" Ding again. "Right now, I need you to do me a favor."

"And what will that be?"

"I need you to come with me." Ding. "Your father has got to return to UNIT HQ, and I need to return what's left of the Psychic Pollen to Canary Wharf."

"Hold on just a tic," Zana could not believe what she was hearing. "Psychic Pollen? Mind elaborating on what the hell that is?"

"How do you think your father contacted you, Zana?" Her mother raised an eyebrow.

"By somehow haunting me in my dreams. It was awful, just so you know," she shot a look in her father's direction. "I thought I had gone mad. I couldn't sleep...I hated it."

"I'm sorry, darling," he gave her an apologetic smile. "But it worked, didn't it? You're home."

She sighed before turning her attention back to her mother, "Alright, but why do you have to deal with the...Psychic Pollen? Isn't Dad the one with UNIT?"

"Zana-" Ding. "For Christ's sake, someone get that!"

"It's not mine," Carlisle replied simply.

"Well, it's not mine, either."

"Then who-" It finally donned on the teen. "Oh, that's my mobile, isn't it? Sorry..." She pulled it from her jacket pocket and read over the screen. Five texts from Rose Tyler. "Blimey, sorry, I need to answer these. Is that alright?"

"Oh, no, go right ahead."

Zana ignored the sarcasm in her father's voice as she opened up the texts. As soon as she read the first words, her heart fluttered in her chest. Blimey, she was in way too deep to leave now...

09:27

Hey, Zan, Doctor here. Rose has decided to pop by and see her mum. Same day, same time, just a different part of London.

09:28

Zana.

09:28

Zanaaaaaaa.

09:30

Zana Kline.

09:32

Sorry 'bout that, Zana. Never leave the Doctor alone with your mobile. Mum says she wants to see ya, so hurry and come by, will ya? :-)

"Who is it?" Her mother asked, making her look up. A wide smile was plastered on her face, but she didn't care. Her happiness was returning, something she desperately needed after that conversation with her parents.

"Huh? No one," Zana waved her off as she slid her phone back into her pocket. "Anyway, Mum, as you were saying?"

Cynthia sighed and ran a hand through her own brunette hair. "As I was saying, you're coming with me to Canary Wharf while your father gets these soldiers off my lawn."

"And I'm assuming you're going to give me a reason why you're in charge of this Psychic Pollen and not Dad on our way to Canary Wharf?"

"Of course."

"Great. Allons-y."

"Allons-y?" Her mum raised an eyebrow.

"It's French," the teen called over her shoulder as she walked out of the dining room, "for 'let's go'!"

"Zana!"

"What?"

"Before we go, go put some actual clothes on, love!"

Zana stopped abruptly and looked down at her pajamas. Her cheeks warmed with embarrassment as she quickly changed her path from the front door, to up the stairs towards her room. "Good idea..."

~*~*~*~*~

Once Zana was dressed in her usual attire, she pulled her hair up into a ponytail and made her way back down the stairs. She was greeted by her mother and none other than Private Jones. He held a rather heavy-looking box in his arms with his gun slung around his shoulders all the while attempting to stand at attention, but that was hard to do with his hands full.

"Well, hello, Evan," Zana smiled warmly at the soldier as she pushed her sleeves up to her elbows. "I see my mother is using you as her packing mule." Cynthia gave her a look, but she just grinned cheekily. "Will you be joining us on our trip?"

"I will indeed, ma'am," Evan returned her smile. Just barely.

"Zana," she reminded as she turned to her mum. "So how are we getting to Canary Wharf? Better question, why exactly are we going to Canary Wharf anyway?"

"That's where I work," Her mother informed before turning and walking out of the house, leaving Zana and Private Jones no choice to follow. Relief flooded the teen when she saw that most of the vehicles and soldiers had disappeared from her front lawn and most of her neighbors had returned to their homes.

"Alright..." Zana nodded as Private Jones walked ahead of them. "Hey, Mum?"

"Yes, sweetheart?"

"Why did Dad have these soldiers here in the first place?" She pondered, sticking her hands into her pockets. "Surely they all weren't for me. That's a bit excessive, don't you think?"

She sighed, "I did tell him it would be jarring for you, but he insisted. He said that if you were returning, he wanted you to be completely safe."

"Safe from what?" She frowned. "What could have possibly happened to me?"

"Ma'am," Private Jones nodded as they approached a black jeep with 'UNIT' in big white letters along with what Zana assumed was its logo on the side of it.

"Not very inconspicuous, is it?" Zana murmured as Evan loaded the metal box into the vehicle.

"I'm honestly surprised you noticed," her mother replied simply as she climbed into the passenger seat casually.

"Oh, haha, very funny," the teen grumbled as she opened the door to the back seats. Just as she moved to climb in, Evan appeared almost out of nowhere and held out a hand to her. "Oh, thanks, love," Zana accepted it and jumped inside. Evan closed the door behind her and got into the driver's seat. "Anyway, Mum, as you were saying, what did he need to keep me safe from?"

"From the ghosts," Cynthia turned to face her as Private Jones pulled out of their driveway. "He says that UNIT sees them as a threat, but I don't understand why he just won't listen to me."

Zana just stared at her mother, dumbfounded. Did she really just say ghosts? Did she really just say ghosts so casually? What the hell happened why she was away?

"Okay...okay, I need you to explain it to me. Ghosts. What ghosts? Where did they come from?"

"They're a side effect."

"Of?"

"Of temporal disturbances caused by the sphere." 

"Come on, Mum!" Zana let out a frustrated huff. "What the hell does that even mean? You have to tell me everything! You can't just pull random things out of the air and expect me to understand, alright? At least start with your job. Please."

Cynthia bit her lip in thought before letting out a sigh. "You're going to find out anyway. Zana...I'm not the general manager at H.C. Clements."

"Really?" Zana couldn't help the sarcasm. It's been such a long day already, and it's not even noon. Her parents live a life she had no idea about. Apparently, ghosts are walking the streets. What the hell did she return to?

"Watch it," her mum chastised slightly. "I may not be the general manager, but I am in charge of the research center underneath it. I am a leading scientist, after all."

Zana scoffed, "No you're not."

"I am," Cynthia defended. "You just didn't care enough to figure out what I actually do with my time."

"Didn't think I needed to. I just figured my parents told the truth when they told me what they did for a living."

"Don't be so easily swayed, then," her mum turned back around so she was facing forward.

"Thanks, Mum."

"Mhmm," she nodded.

"But that still doesn't answer me. A leading scientist for what? A locksmith? I hate to break it to you, mother, but that is-"

"I'm a leading scientist for The Torchwood Institute," she interrupted calmly. "I have been for ten years now, but I've been with them for eighteen."

"Torchwood..." Zana repeated quietly. "Hold on...where have I heard that before? Torchwood..."

"It's another special op," Cynthia informed. "It was founded in 1879 after an unfortunate accident at the Torchwood Estate involving Queen Victoria."

"The Doctor and Rose were there!" Zana leaned forward as it hit her. "They told me all about that! Apparently, there was a werewolf, or Lupine Wavelength Haemovariform, according to the Doctor. They were knighted, they said, but then she banished them from Britain, which in all honesty I find hilarious. Leave it to them to save the bloody Queen and then be banished for it, right?" Cynthia looked like she had heard the story a million times, which only amused Zana. How was it that her parents knew of her Doctor all her life? How had she never heard of him? "Anyway, what does Torchwood do?"

"Protect the Earth from extraterrestrial threats and gain access to as much alien technology as possible."

"Right," she nodded. At least the Psychic Pollen was starting to make sense now. Now if she could understand literally everything else, that would be great. "Bit redundant. Do UNIT and Torchwood work together?"

"No. Your father and I are the only things connecting the two organizations."

"You're joking."

"Yeah, but that sounded cooler, didn't it?"

Zana chuckled along with her mother, which felt really nice. "Kinda. Now, back to the sphere. What is it? Where did it come from?"

"We don't know," she shook her head. "I wish I could tell you everything about it, Zana, but the simple truth is we have no idea what it is or where it came from. All we know is that when it broke into our world, it brought along the ghosts."

"And when you say ghosts..."

"Not actual ghosts. Albeit, they look humanoid, but they aren't anywhere close to human. They're harmless, though. Not one casualty, not even one instance of violence involving them. For the past two months, they've just...existed."

"Existed where?"

"All across the world."

"And there's been no public outcry? No accounts of hysteria connected to their existence? Nothing?" Zana frowned. "How is that possible?"

"When they first arrived, sure, people were a tad upset. They didn't understand them, and they still don't. The only difference is that they think they understand them. It was only a matter of time before their brains started creating things that weren't there. Many people think that the ghosts are their passed relatives coming back from the dead to see them."

"Really? What about you? What do you think?"

"I think...that it's only the beginning of something else entirely, Zana."

"Have you tried controlling them?"

"We do control them. My good friend Yvonne Hartman is the overseer of the ghost shifts."

"Ghost shifts?"

"The ghosts are only on Earth for a few minutes at a time, a few times a day. Yvonne is in charge of that. I spent most of my time with Rajesh trying to decipher the purpose of the Sphere, and when I'm not at the main base, I'm at H.C. Clements, dealing with Torchwood's other research."

"Blimey..." Zana leaned back in her seat as she took everything in. Or at least attempted to. "Alright...So, you work at one special op, and Dad works at another?"

"Yes."

"And he's more of a soldier, and you're more of a scientist?"

"Yes."

"And right now the Earth is being invaded by ghosts and an alien sphere?"

"Mhmm."

"And what am I expected to do?"

"Nothing. You just got home, Zana, you need to get used to things."

"You act like I've been isolated from life, Mum," Zana frowned softly. "I was just with the Doctor and Rose. I was literally among the stars."

"About that," Cynthia turned to face Zana once again. "Why him, Zana?"

"Why him, what? Why did I leave with him?"

"Sure. We can start there." Zana raised a questioning eyebrow. "I've caught you up with everything, now it's your turn. When did you meet him? How?"

"Well..." Zana could feel herself become giddy just thinking of her friend, much to her annoyance. "Remember when I forgot to get a Christmas gift for Emily?" Cynthia nodded. "Well, while I was out shopping for one, I overheard two people talking about a doctor and something called a TARDIS. You know me, Mum, I'm not one to get involved, so I still have no idea why I followed them. I just.....I needed to know more. So, I followed them around the market for a little while, but then out of nowhere this weird band of Santa Clauses...Clauses? Clausi? Anyway, the band of Father Christmas's just started...shooting flames from their instruments. Luckily for me, the woman I had been following, Rose Tyler, pulled me out of the way just in time."

"Hold on," Cynthia frowned. "You were involved with the Sycorax? On Christmas day?"

"Mhmm," the teen nodded. "Well, after that whole fiasco, I went home to look into the Doctor. At the time, I found him to be a complete idiot. He...never mind," she shook her head. Mentioning Harriet Jones would not help her case. "I didn't find much about him on the internet, so I just...tried to forget about it. But he's the Doctor. He's stubborn. And Rose Tyler even more so. So when they found me and asked if I wanted to go on a trip with them, how could I resist?"

"You shouldn't have gone...." she spoke softly, but Zana wasn't hearing it.

"That was the best decision of my life, Mum. They took me to a planet called New Earth. The air smelt like applegrass and the skyline was absolutely...it was beautiful...Traveling with the Doctor is beautiful, Mum."

"What happened on New Earth?" She pondered without so much as batting an eye.

"The Doctor saved a whole species of people from being the subject of cruel experiments conducted by the hospital. A whole species. Can you imagine?" All she got was a sad smile. "Anyway, after that...he brought me home. He told me that traveling could be dangerous, and he didn't want to risk my life."

"He's not wrong."

"That's not the point," Zana narrowed her eyes. "After he left me on Earth, I was here for a whole month before I ran into them again. This time he was posing as my Physics teacher. Turns out aliens, called Krillitanes, had taken over my school. So glad you and Dad's special ops picked up on that, by the way. Anyway, that's where I met Sarah Jane. All of us saved the entire of the Universe that day. Me, Mickey, Rose, Sarah Jane, the Doctor...K9," Zana laughed softly. "Aw, K9 was brilliant. Mickey was brilliant...I miss Mickey."

"And what happened to Mickey, then?"

"He stayed behind in a parallel universe so that he can start his life anew. He moved on. He's happy..." she smiled sadly as she felt her heart ache. Oh, Mickey Smith.

"And when did you fall in love with the Doctor, Zana?"

That felt like a smack to the face. Hearing it out loud made it real, and she hated that. She's never had to deal with these types of feelings before, and it was all just a bit overwhelming.

"I...I don't know," she muttered, suddenly fascinated by the view outside her window. "It didn't happen all at once. It was the small things that drew me to him. The way he smiles whenever he finds something new...the way his eyes light up whenever he talks about something...the way he grabs my hand when we run...oh, Mum, why did I have to fall in love with him?" Zana closed her eyes and sighed. "Rose loves him! Rose deserves him! Rose is my best friend, too, you know. I shouldn't have even considered him as anything more than a friend."

"Love is unpredictable, Zana. You can't help who you love, I'm afraid..." Her mum reached back to take Zana's hand. "Look, I understand that the Doctor means an awful lot to you. I get that you'll do anything to stay by his side. I just want you to know-"

"We've arrived, ma'am," Private Jones spoke up as the vehicle came to a stop. Cynthia shared a look with her daughter before sighing and turning around. "Would you like me to escort you inside, ma'am?"

"No, Zana and I can handle it, love. Thank you," she smiled kindly at the soldier before opening her door and hopping out, inspiring Zana to do the same. "Tell my husband that we arrived safely, will you?"

"Of course, ma'am," Evan nodded as he grabbed the metal box from the back. Almost out of nowhere, a man dressed in a completely different uniform stepped up and took the box from his grip.

"Take that to inventory, Scotty," Cynthia nodded, and like that, the man was off, doing as he was told.

"Thanks, Evan," Zana smiled at him as he climbed back into the jeep.

"Just doing my job," he nodded his head professionally as he started the vehicle back up. The teen watched as he maneuvered his way through traffic and out of sight before turning back to her mother.

"So why Canary Wharf?" Zana asked as she followed her mother into the building.

"That's the public name for it," she informed as she flashed her ID to a guard. "This is officially called Torchwood One."

"Right. Of course it is," Zana nodded as they stepped into a lift. "So what are we going to do now? We've already got rid of the Pollen."

Cynthia smiled at her as she pressed a floor number, "Oh, I just thought you'd want to take a look around, is all. Do you?"

"I...I suppose," Zana smiled as well. "Where to first?"

"The very top, of course! We'll work our way down!"

Zana could help but laugh as the lift started to rise. She felt calm, and she adored that. She had been thinking something awful would happen today, but being here, in the lift with her mum, seemed to prove that she had been worrying for absolutely nothing. Traveling with the Doctor did that to people, she supposed. It made them wary of the world around them even when nothing was wrong. But as soon as the lift doors opened...

"I'm warning you, cancel it."

Zana could recognize the Doctor's voice anywhere. And that tone? Something was wrong. Really wrong.

"Oh, exactly as the legends would have it!" An unfamiliar voice belonging to a woman exclaimed. "The Doctor, lording it over us. Assuming alien authority over the Rights of Man!"

"The Doctor's here?" Cynthia whispered into her daughter's ear as they stepped out of the lift. It only took seconds for Zana to spot the Time Lord...and Jackie? What the hell was Jackie doing here? Hold on...where's Rose?

"It appears so..." Zana murmured, watching him interact with the woman curiously. Her mum went to step forward, but she was quick to pull her back. "What the hell are you doing?"

"I have to help Yvonne contain him," she responded quickly.

"What? No! Just watch," Zana instructed and turned her attention back to the argument just in time to see the Doctor pull out his sonic screwdriver and aim it at a glass wall with the word 'TORCHWOOD' printed across it.

"Let me show you. Sphere comes through," the screwdriver lit up as he turned it on. Everyone's eyes were on him as the glass began to splinter because no one dared to interrupt him. Not even Zana. "But when it made the hole, it cracked the world around it. The entire surface of this dimension splintered. And that's how the ghosts get through. That's how they get everywhere! They're bleeding through the fault lines. Walking from their world, across the Void, and into yours, with the human race hoping and wishing and helping them along! But too many ghosts, and-" he tapped the glass and like that, it shattered into a thousand pieces onto the floor.

"Well, in that case, we'll have to be more careful," Yvonne didn't seem one bit affected before turning around to face the huge, empty, white wall at the opposite side of the room. "Positions! Ghost Shift in one minute."

The Doctor growled with frustration as he stepped over the glass, "Miss Hartman, I am asking you, please don't do it."

"We have done this a thousand times."

"Then stop at a thousand!" He snapped.

"We're in control of the ghosts," Yvonne informed. "The levers can open the breach, but equally they can close it."

That's when Zana had to intervene. She had seen the Doctor angry before, and it never ended well for anyone. And judging by the look of complete hatred on his face, he was about to explode.

"Doctor," she walked out of hiding casually, hoping her mother would get the hint and follow her. If someone could override Yvonne's command, it was her mum. At least she hoped.

"Zana?" He frowned slightly at the sight of his companion. "How did you-"

"Meet Cynthia Kline. Leading Scientific Officer of the Torchwood Institute," Zana introduced as she moved to stand next to him. "I'm sure if you ask her nicely, she'll cancel the shift."

"Now, Zana-" her mum started, but Zana continued.

"Right, Mum? Would you do that for the Doctor and me?"

Her mother looked at her with what can only be described as annoyance. Not anger. Not hatred. Annoyance. "Yvonne, maybe we should at least-"

"There's no way I'm canceling this shift!" Yvonne exclaimed, and just as Cynthia went to reply, the Doctor stepped forward.

"Okay," he grabbed a couple of chairs from what Zana was assuming Yvonne's office and sat them in the middle of the room.

"Sorry?" Yvonne frowned, confused as he took a seat in on and motioned for Zana to sit in the other. So she did.

"Never mind," he smiled at Zana before facing Yvonne and her mother. "As you were."

"What is that it?"

"No, fair enough. Said my bit. Don't mind me. Nice to see you, Zana," the Doctor nudged her before turning to one of the people typing away at their computers. "Any chance of a cup of tea?"

"Ghost Shift in twenty seconds," one of them replied monotonously.

"Mmm, can't wait to see it!" The Doctor folded his arms and grinned manically. Without even thinking about it, Zana reached beside her and grabbed his left hand in an attempt to comfort him.

"You can't stop us, Doctor," Yvonne muttered.

"No, absolutely not," he turned to Jackie but kept Zana's hand tightly in his. "Pull up a chair, Rose. Come and watch the fireworks."

Rose? What the hell did she miss out on?

"Ghost Shift in ten seconds. Nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two..."

"Stop the shift!" Yvonne shouted last minutes, much to the relief of the Doctor. Zana could feel the tension leave his body as she squeezed his hand. "I said stop."

"Thank you," the Doctor smiled sincerely at the woman, who Zana could tell was extremely annoyed with the whole situation. No wonder her mum got along with her.

"I suppose it makes sense to get as much intelligence as possible," Yvonne glanced between the Doctor and Zana curiously before stepping past them, towards Cynthia. "But the program will recommence, as soon as you've explained everything."

"I'm glad to be of help," he nodded.

"And someone clear up this glass," the woman called. "They did warn me, Doctor. They said you like to make a mess."

As she walked off, Zana let out a sigh of relief and leaned her head back. She gave herself a few seconds to try to wrap her head around everything before looking over at the Doctor, who, much to her surprise, was watching her.

"Why didn't you tell me your mum worked for Torchwood?" He asked softly, but she could tell it irked him. More than he'd like to admit.

"Because I had no idea myself until half an hour ago," she informed, her tone matching his as she laced their fingers together. "Never mind that, what the hell is going on? How did you get here?"

"We stopped by to see Jackie, and there were these ghosts," he explained. "I triangulated their point of origin, and ended up here."

"Right. Mum says they're a side effect of some sphere. Do you know what they're talking about?"

He sighed and ran a hand down his face, "Unfortunately. They have a Void ship in their possession."

"A Void ship?" She frowned. "Isn't the Void...nothing? The space between Universes? Why would there be a ship for the Void?"

"I haven't the slightest idea, Zan," he inhaled, glancing at her. "But whatever's inside of that thing, it's not good."

"There's something inside of it? Great..." She caught sight of Jackie Tyler and leaned in a bit closer to the Time Lord. "Do you wanna tell me what the hell happened to Rose? What is Jackie doing here?"

"They confiscated the TARDIS. Rose is in there," he explained. "But they don't know that. They think that's Rose."

Zana couldn't help the smile spreading across her lips, "I bet you're having a field day!"

"Oi," he murmured. "Don't start."

"Doctor," Yvonne's voice made them turn in their seat to face her. "In my office, please."

The Doctor and Zana shared a look before standing up and carrying their chairs into the small room. The Doctor was quick to sit back down, and of course, prop his feet up on Yvonne's desk, but Zana vouched to remain standing. Mainly because her mum was practically telling her to be respectful with her eyes.

"So these ghosts, whatever they are, did they build the sphere?" Cynthia asked, her arms folded as she watched Yvonne type something into a laptop.

"Must have," the Doctor nodded. "Aimed it at this dimension like a cannonball. My name's the Doctor, by the way. Lovely to meet you, Cynthia Kline."

"And you. I've heard a lot about you."

"Apparently Torchwood knows me pretty well," he shrugged.

"Apparently my daughter does too."

Zana felt her cheeks warm instantly, but luckily a voice emitting from Yvonne's computer changed the subject rather quickly.

"Yvonne?" The man called. "I think you should see this. We've got a visitor. We don't know who she is, but funnily enough, she arrived at the same time as the Doctor."

Yvonne raised an eyebrow and turned to face the laptop towards the Doctor and his brunette companion. On the screen was Rose Tyler herself, clad in a white lab coat and a guilty smile on her lips. Zana smirked slightly.

"She one of yours?" Yvonne questioned

The Doctor shook his head, "Never seen her before in my life."

"Good," the woman smiled. "Then we can have her shot."

Zana's eyes widened, but before she could say anything, the Doctor huffed and sat his feet down on the ground. "Oh, all right then. It was worth a try. That's-that's Rose Tyler."

"Sorry," Rose waved meekly as the Doctor and Zana waved back. "Hello."

"Well, if that's Rose Tyler, who's she?" Yvonne nodded towards Jackie. 

"I'm her mother," Jackie informed proudly.

"Oh, you travel with her mother?" She smirked.

"He kidnapped me!" Jackie defended.

"Please, when Torchwood comes to write my complete history, don't tell people I traveled through time and space with her mother," the Doctor pleaded. Actually, genuinely, pleaded.

"Oi," Zana flicked his shoulder just as a loud clanking noise filled the air, but neither of them took notice of it. "Be nice."

"I've got a reputation to uphold," he replied but smiled up at her cheekily.

"Excuse me?" Yvonne's voice suddenly sounded distant, making them look up to see her standing in the doorway of her office with Cynthia at her side. "Everyone? I thought I said stop the ghost shift. Who started the program? But I ordered you to stop! Who's doing that?" The Doctor and Zana quickly stepped out of the office and into the main room, where all of the employees were mindlessly working on their computers. Zana instantly took notice of the ear pods in their ears. Oh god, no... "Right, step away from the monitors, everyone. Gareth, Addy, stop what you're doing, right now! Matt, step away from your desk. That's an order! Stop the levers! Andrew!" A couple of scientists rushed towards the two leavers on either side of the room and tried to push them back into their original position. "Stop the levers!"

"What's she doing?" The Doctor murmured, his eyes focused on a woman who was busy at work, sporting the ear pods that sent Zana's mind into nothing but terror. The last time she saw someone wearing those earbuds...No, no, no it can't be!

"Addy, step away from the desk. Listen to me!" Yvonne, Cynthia, and the Doctor stepped up to the woman while Zana remained frozen in her spot. The Doctor began snapping his fingers in Addy's face, but she didn't even bat an eye. "Step away from the desk!"

"She can't hear you. They're overriding the system," the four of them looked at the wall at the end of the room as it grew almost unbearably bright. "We're going into Ghost Shift..."

"Doctor..." Zana stepped forward slightly. "Look at her ears...her earpieces."

"It's controlling them. We've seen this before," he murmured as he pulled out his screwdriver. He rested his hand on Addy's shoulder and gave her a sympathetic look. "Sorry. I'm so sorry."

Zana had to look away as he pressed the device against the poor woman's ear. Almost instantly, her screams, along with the screams of the other two employees donning earpieces, filled the air. It wasn't long before their bodies slumped against their desks.

"What happened?" Cynthia demanded. "What did you just do?"

"They're dead," the Doctor informed as he looked over Addy's computer.

Jackie's eyes widened as Zana covered her mouth with her hand in disbelief. How was possible? There's no way...They can't be here... "You killed them..."

The Doctor didn't so much as glance at the woman."Oh, someone else did that long before I got here."

"But you killed them!"

"Jackie, I haven't got time for this!" He snapped.

"What are those earpieces?" Yvonne gulped, trying to remain professional.

"Don't..." Zana murmured. Talking about it would only make it more real.

"But they're standard comms. devices! How does it control them?" 

"Trust us, leave them alone," the Doctor's voice was cold as he moved to one of the other employee's computer.

"But what are they?" She stepped forward and much to the dismay of Zana, she yanked the earpiece out of Addy's ear, along with what looked like brain matter. "Ugh! Oh, God! It goes inside their brain!"

The Doctor didn't have time for that. "What about the Ghost Shift?"

"Ninety percent there and still running," Yvonne wiped the brain matter off her hands as she moved to stand next to the Time Lord.

"Can't you stop it?" Cynthia frowned, glancing worriedly at her daughter. It was like she was too frightened to move.

"They're still controlling it," the Doctor shook his head. "They've hi-jacked the system."

"Who's they?"

He held his sonic screwdriver into the air, "It might be a remote transmitter but it's got to be close by..." A beeping filled the air. "I can trace it. Jackie, stay here!"

"Keep those levers down!" Cynthia ordered as she followed the Doctor, Yvonne, and her daughter out of the room. "Keep them offline!"

"Doctor..." Zana and the Time Lord stayed a few steps ahead of the Torchwood officers. The teen's hands were shaking and her voice was doing very much the same. If she was right, there was no way they'd all make it out alive. "Doctor, I don't..."

"Shh, shh," he murmured softly as he followed the signal. He glanced down at his frightened companion with soft eyes. "Zana, I need you to stay behind me, love. If anything, and I mean anything, happens, you need to run. Take your mum and get out of here, you got it?"

"I can't leave you," she replied, her eyes straight ahead. "I won't."

"Zana..."

She just shook her head. There was no point in arguing, and she hoped that he knew that by now. After all, hadn't she proven how much he meant to her? He was her best friend. She was never going to abandon him.

"What's down here?" The Doctor sighed as they arrived upon a floor filled with nothing but plastic sheets hanging from the ceiling. Remodeling, Zana guessed.

"I don't-I don't know," Yvonne gulped. "I think it's building work. It's just renovations."

"You should go back," he glanced back at the three of them.

"Think again," Yvonne scoffed as they pushed past the plastic curtains. Zana didn't even realize she had taken the Doctor's hand into hers until he gave it a comforting squeeze. "What is it? What's down here?"

"The ear pods...it's all so familiar," Zana spoke up quietly. 

"This world's colliding with another," the Doctor agreed, "and I think I know which one."

At his words, the all too familiar silhouettes surrounded the small group.

"No, no, no..." Zana breathed.

Cynthia looked around worriedly, "What are they?"

"They came through first. The advance guard," the Doctor and Zana stepped back as the metal men ripped through the plastic covering, revealing themselves in their entirety. "Cybermen!"

Gunshots filled the air as two soldiers attempted to kill the Cybermen, but of course, to no prevail. Cynthia Kline reached out to take her daughter's unoccupied hand as they ducked out of the way of the bullets and into the relative safety of the corridor.

"You will be deleted!" The metallic voices of the Cybermen cried out, followed by the screams of the soldiers who had tried to protect them.

"It can't be..." Zana whispered. Of all of the things to come back...it had to be them...

The Doctor instantly held up his hands in surrender, and since his hand was still in Zana's, that automatically caused her to surrender too. Luckily Cynthia and Yvonne got the hint and put their arms up as well. "We surrender!"

The Cybermen looked on wordlessly at the group. Zana could feel the panic rising in her chest as her pulse sped up drastically. No, no, no, not now...please not now!

"You will follow."

Shivers went down Zana's spine as relief flooded her. If they weren't going to kill them now, maybe the Doctor could work out a plan to stop them...but as soon as she thought that, she felt guilty. Why should it all come down to him? He didn't deserve that kind of weight on his shoulders. He shouldn't be expected to always save the day...he was just a man, after all.

"Get away from the machines!" The Doctor called as soon as they entered the shift room. Do what they say. Don't fight them!"

The scientist holding the levers in place didn't budge at all, and for their loyalty, all they received were the Cybermen killing them. Zana took a step back and closed her eyes. Why is this happening to her? What the hell did she do to deserve this?

"What are they?" Jackie asked, her voice full of panic as the aliens surrounded them.

"We are the Cybermen," one of the creatures replied as it held its hand to its chest. "The Ghost Shift will be increased to one hundred percent."

And just like that, the levers began to shift into place. "Online."

"Here come the ghosts..." the Doctor murmured somberly. Everyone watched in horror as the ghosts walked right through the brightly lit wall at the other end of the room. Zana recognized the metallic footsteps almost instantly. Oh god...

"But these Cybermen, what've they got to do with the ghosts?"

"Do you never listen?" He snapped angrily. "A footprint doesn't look like a boot!"

"Achieving full transfer," the Cybermen closest to the teen announced, causing her to jump. She squinted her eyes to see better, but the sight that greeted her nearly knocked the air out of her lungs. The ghosts...they were all Cybermen...

"They're Cybermen. All of the ghosts are Cybermen," the Doctor breathed in disbelief. "Millions of them, right across the world..."

"They're invading the whole planet," Cynthia's voice was calm, despite being surrounded by nearly fifty Cybermen in the shift room alone.

"It's not an invasion," he said simply. "It's too late for that. It's a victory."

"Sphere activated," the alarm on one of the computers grabbed their attention immediately. "Sphere activated. Sphere activated. Sphere activated."

"Oh, great," Zana gulped. "Just what we need. More of them!"

The Doctor glanced at her before stepping towards who she was assuming was the Cyberleader. After all, he seemed to be barking all the orders. "But I don't understand. The Cybermen don't have the technology to build a Void Ship! That's way beyond you. How did you create that sphere?"

The alien simply looked at him, "The sphere is not ours."

"What?" Zana frowned, stepping forward as well, her fear being pushed to the side for the moment being. If they were going to get rid of the Cybermen, the last thing the Doctor needed was a companion who was too scared to move. "What do you mean?"

"The sphere broke down the barriers between worlds. We only followed. Its origin is unknown."

"Then what's inside it?" She looked at the Doctor, but he looked just as confused as she did.

"Rose is down there!" Jackie exclaimed worriedly.

"I know, I know..." Zana turned to face her and her own mother. "I'm so sorry..."

Everyone's hearts were beating out of their chests as they waiting to find out just what had been living inside that Void ship for so long. The Doctor and Zana stood side by side as the world around them seemed to fall apart, and for the time being, they were blissfully unaware of the cries of 'Exterminate!' that greeted their dear Rose Tyler only a few stories below them.

~*~*~*~*~

A/N: Ahhhh! Woo-hoo! I hope you enjoy it! It's a bit long, so for that, I apologize, but I truly hope it's good!


	22. Doomsday

"What's down there? She was in that room with the sphere," Jackie Tyler's tone was a stark contrast from the chaos that surrounded her. She was fighting back a sob. Crying would only annoy the Doctor, and she knew that, but she couldn't help it. She had no idea if her daughter was even still breathing. "What's happened to Rose?"

"I don't know!" The Doctor's voice was filled with frustration and stress, and that was enough to send the concerned mother into tears. The Time Lord softened at the sight and pushed himself off the white wall he was leaning on, making his way towards the mother of his loyal companion. "I'll find her. I brought you here, I'll get you both out, you and your daughter. Jackie, look at me. Look at me," Jackie hesitantly met his gaze, which held all his emotions. "I promise you. I give you my word."

"You will talk to your central world authority and order global surrender," Zana closed her eyes at the metallic sound of one of the Cybermen. It was like nails against a chalkboard to her. She despised everything about those creatures, yet here she was, standing on a planet infested with them. 

"We haven't got one," Zana answered it absently as she folded her arms across her chest. Her back was to it, and her eyes were glued on the city before her. 

"You have now. I will speak on all global wavelengths," the Cyberleader shot back. "This broadcast is for humankind." The Doctor eyed the Cyberman as he pulled a pair of 3D glasses from his pocket. Jackie shot him an odd look, but he ignored it as he studied the metal men surrounding them. "Cybermen now occupy every landmass on this planet, but you need not fear. Cybermen will remove fear. Cybermen will remove sex and class and color and creed. You will become identical. You will become like us."

The broadcast was cut off, and like that, the Cyberleader moved to stand next to Zana. The teen stiffened instantly, but it failed to notice her. Its gaze was focused on the streets below them. Havoc started to break out, and before long, fires broke out and frantic people trying to escape flooded the streets, only to be greeted by the very things they were trying to flee from. Zana could make out military vehicles lining the pavement, and for a moment her thoughts flashed to her father. A feeling of dread overwhelmed her, but before it could take root, she felt a hand on her shoulder. She didn't even have to look back to know it belonged to her mother. She had joined her at the window, along with the Doctor, Jackie, and Yvonne.

"I ordered surrender," the Cyberleader's voice was full of confusion as he watched the chaos unfold before them. The Doctor and Zana looked up instantly at its words. 

"Why would you think they'd surrender?" Zana frowned, confused. Surely it didn't actually think... "Why would they do that?"

"You're on every street, you're in their homes, you've got their children!" The Doctor added, his voice sharp and angry. "Of course they're going to fight!"

The Cyberleader paid no mind to the Doctor's outburst and turned to face the other Cybermen in the room. Everything was silent for a quick moment before it spoke up, "Scans detect unknown technology active within Sphere chamber."

"Cybermen will investigate," the creatures replied in unison standing at attention.

"Units ten six-five and ten six six will investigate Sphere chamber," the leader informed.

"We obey," they nodded.

"Units, open visual link," the Cyberleader turned its attention to Yvonne's laptop, which was sitting on her desk. Seconds later, the small group was able to see what the two investigating Cybermen saw. "Visual contact established."

The Doctor looked on, his arms crossed and his face emotionless. Zana stood at his side, her eyes on the laptop as well, but the moment the other aliens came into view, the Doctor's demeanor change instantly. At first, she didn't notice his body stiffen beside her. She didn't even notice how uncharacteristically quiet he was. She did, however, notice when he reached down and took her hand into his. He held it in a vise grip as if the world was crumbling around him and she was the only thing to cling to. Zana glanced up at him, wanting to offer him an assuring smile, but his eyes were glued on the laptop.

"Identify yourselves!" An oddly familiar alien called out. It resembled a pepper pot, but surely that's not why Zana recognized the creature.

"You will identify first," the Cybermen replied simply.

"State your identity."

"You will identify first."

"Identify!"

"Are you okay?" Zana asked the Doctor quietly, having lost the feeling in her hand completely. She looked up at him, concerned, only to meet his fearful eyes. 

"...and illogical. You will modify."

"Daleks do not take orders."

Zana's eyes widened in disbelief. It all made sense. The Daleks...The Time War...Oh, no. This can't be happening, not to him. The Doctor doesn't deserve this.

"You have identified as Daleks."

"Outline resembles the inferior species known as Cybermen."

"Rose said about the Daleks," Jackie whispered, her voice shaking with fear. "She was terrified of them. What have they done to her, Doctor? Is she dead?" 

"Phone," he murmured into Zana's ear, seeming to avoid Jackie's question. The brunette quickly reached into her pocket and pulled out her mobile, handing it to the Time Lord without so much as looking away from the sight in front of her.

"We followed in the wake of your sphere," the Cybermen continued as the Doctor dialed a number and pressed the phone to his ear. He closed his eyes, and seconds later, he let out a breath of relief. 

"She's answered. She's alive," he informed, calming Zana instantly. "Why haven't they killed her?"

"Well, don't complain!" Jackie hissed as Zana shot him a look.

"They must need her for something..." He frowned, having heard something over the phone. "The Genesis Ark?" 

"Our species are similar, though your design is inelegant," the Cybermen commented as the Doctor pulled his 3D spectacles out of his pocket and slid them on, his eyes glued onto the laptop.

"What the hell are you doing?" Zana watched him with confusion.

"Daleks have no concept of elegance."

"This is obvious. But consider, our technologies are compatible. Cybermen plus Daleks. Together, we could upgrade the Universe."

"You propose an alliance?"

"This is correct."

"Request denied."

As if on command, the Cybermen readied their weapons, "Hostile elements will be deleted."

"Exterminate!" The Dalek cried, and like that, the Cybermen were obliterated from existence, killing the feed.

"Open visual link," the Cyberleader demanded. "Daleks, be warned. You have declared war upon the Cybermen."

"This is not war," a different Dalek informed. "This is pest control."

"We have five million Cybermen. How many are you?"

"Four. 

"You would destroy the Cybermen with four Daleks?"

"We would destroy the Cybermen with one Dalek. You are superior in only one respect."

"What is that?"

"You are better at dying. Raise communications barrier!"

"Lost her," the Doctor sighed, trying to hand Zana's phone back to her, but she stood there, in shock. The Daleks and the Cybermen, at war with each other, and they were caught in the middle of it. Bloody brilliant. "Zana?"

She blinked, shaking her head in an attempt to clear her thoughts. She couldn't believe this was happening. Today had been so promising...so absolutely fantastic, but in an instant, it turned into hell. Literal hell. And the worst part? There was nothing she could do about it. "Keep it. You might need it."

He frowned, "Your mobile?"

"Yes, my mobile. Doctor, with our track record-"

"Quarantine the Sphere chamber," the Cyberleader's metallic voice interrupted her. "Start emergency upgrading. Begin with these personnel."

The Cybermen reacted instantly, gripping the arms of Yvonne, Cynthia, Jackie, the Doctor, and Zana. 

"No!" Zana shouted as she tried to push herself away from the creature. Her heart rate increased dramatically as she struggled against it, fear taking control of her. "Stop it! Doctor!"

"You can't do this!" Yvonne cried as she was pulled out of her office, followed by Cynthia and Jackie. "We surrendered! We surrendered!"

The Cyberleader simply ignored her as he turned to look at the Doctor, "This one. His increased adrenaline suggests that he has vital Dalek information."

"Stop them! I don't want to go! You promised me! You gave me your word!" Jackie shouted as the Cybermen released the Doctor, who instantly started towards Zana. Two Cybermen stepped in his path, having seemingly anticipated his actions.

"I demand you leave them alone! I won't help you if you hurt them," the Time Lord threatened, still attempting to push past them.

"Doctor!" Zana called to him pleadingly as she was yanked out into the corridor. Their eyes met, only for a brief moment, and her heart fell into her stomach. "Doctor, don't you dare! Doctor!"

"Zana, don't fight them!" He yelled to her, his voice seeming strained as she disappeared from his view. "Zana, I'll think of something!"

She let out a shuddered breath and closed her eyes as tears began to fall, allowing herself to be pulled away from him. After all, she trusted the Doctor more than anything, even when she knew he was just as helpless as she was. It would be her downfall one day, she knew that.

She just prayed to whomever or whatever was listening that it wasn't today.

~*~*~*~

Zana, her mother, Jackie, Yvonne, along with the other personnel, were lead back to Canary Wharf's renovations, which the Cybermen had turned into their own. Screams of agony filled the air as they tried to ignore the tight grips on their arms. The procession was underway, and with each passing second, their fates were closer to being sealed by the emotionless creatures, but Zana couldn't believe it. This was all like a horrible nightmare, one she had had many a time back on the TARDIS, only now, the threat was real, and it was imminent. 

"What happens in there?" Jackie demanded of Yvonne and Cynthia as Zana squeezed her eyes closed, refusing to watch the sparks fly from the plastic sheets that hid their gaze from the ongoing upgrading. "What's upgrading mean? What do they do?"

Yvonne gulped as she shifted her weight. "I think they remove the brain...Sorry. I think they remove the brain and they put it in a suit of armor," she glanced at the Cyberman holding her. "That's what these things are. They're us."

"Next," the Cyberman informed dully before pulling her forward. Zana quickly reached out and took her mother's hand in an attempt to keep her calm.

"This is your fault!" Jackie shouted at the doomed woman before turning her attention to Cynthia. "You and your Torchwood! You've killed us all!"

"Jackie," Zana gave her a stern look, but deep inside she knew that what she had said had a ring of truth to it. But that was her mum, and she'd be damned if she let them get into it now. They were the only two people she had right now.

"I did my duty for Queen and Country," Yvonne announced as she yanked her arm from the Cyberman's grasp. She took a deep breath as her emotions began to get the best of her. "I did my duty. I did my duty. Oh, God. I did my duty!"

"Block it out, Mum," Zana demanded quickly as Yvonne stepped through the plastic sheets and out of view. Mere seconds later, sparks flew and her screams began to haunt them. Her mother didn't have much time to react, though, as she herself was yanked away from her daughter.

"No!" Zana yelled instantly as she attempted to run forward. "No, no! Mum!"

"Zana, it's okay," the woman said softly, surprisingly calm as she stood before the end of her life. "I love you so much..."

"No, no, no, no, no goodbyes," the brunette shook her head quickly. "Never do that-"

"CyberLeader One has been terminated," a metal voice cut her off. She suddenly began to feel the blood return to her arm as the vice grip released her. She quickly looked up to see that not only the Cyberman had let her go, but that her mother and Jackie had been released as well.

"Explain. Download shared files," another Cyberman demanded as surprise filled the teen. What the hell just happened?

"Come on, Zan," Jackie whispered as soft as she could as she reached down and gripped her hand. Zana quickly looked back, relief filling her being as she watched her mum sneak past the preoccupied creatures. She reached out and grabbed her hand before following Jackie through a plastic sheet, and away from the Cybermen. It was almost as if she had left her body and was watching herself, along with her mother and Jackie, run down a stairwell as fast as they could. Panic and fear had completely overtaken her, and all she had left was her primal instinct to survive. "Where are even going?!" Jackie cried out in distress as they hurried down yet another stairwell. 

"Back to the Doctor," Zana informed quickly, catching herself as she tripped on a stair. "He'll know what to do."

"Zana, he's surrounded by Cybermen," her mother reminded from her place close behind. "We need to get back to your father."

"You go back to dad," Zana stopped suddenly, turning to face her. "Really, go. I don't want you here, you could get hurt."

"They've taken over the city," she retorted. "Nowhere's safe."

The brunette sighed and ran a shaky hand through her hair. Her chest was buzzing with panic and anxiety, but she had to stay focused. She had to get back to the Doctor. "Stay here, then. But you have to listen to me, and you definitely have to listen to the Doctor. He knows what he's doing, Mum. He-"

"Oh, my God, help us!" Jackie's cry made the two Klines turn towards the blonde woman. She was holding her phone to her ear, her voice filled with every single one of her emotions. On impulse, Zana stepped forward and grabbed the phone from her trembling hands.

"It's me," Zana spoke quickly, absently taking the older woman's hand. She gave it a comforting squeeze as the Doctor's breath of relief sent a chill down her spine.

"Zana, you're alive," his voice seemed rushed. "Is everyone okay?"

"We lost Yvonne, but Jackie and my mum are fine. Where are you?"

"Where are you?"

"A staircase," she informed, looking around her. "Nothing but stairs."

"Like that helps me, Zan," he huffed in frustration."Anything to identify it? Any signs or-"

"North corner, staircase three," Cynthia told her, having heard the Doctor through the speaker. 

"N3," Zana relayed the information as she rubbed her eyes in an attempt to calm herself. She straightened her glasses before exhaling deeply. "Doctor-"

"Zan, I need you to stay low, okay? We're doing our best."

"What? Doctor, no, don't just leave us-"

"I've got to go. I'm so sorry," he uttered before the line disconnected. She pulled the phone from her ear and stared at it in disbelief before handing it back to Jackie.

"What did he say?" She demanded. "What did the Doctor say?"

"He said to lay low," she replied quietly before doing just as he asked. She began down the stairs, leaving the two older women no choice but to follow after her. Her hand never left the railing as they descended, as she was too scared she'd stumble. Her mind was jumbled, and she's always been clumsy. It would only be a matter of time before she slipped up.

"Zana!" Cynthia hissed quietly as she gripped her daughter's elbow, stopping her in her tracks. Before she could protest, the familiar sound of metallic footsteps rang out, making her eyes widen. She immediately turned and pushed her mother and Jackie back up the stairs.

"Go, go, go!" She urged them frantically as the footsteps grew louder. Jackie ran through the first door she could find, leading them into a long corridor. They barely had time to register where they were before two Cybermen blocked their vision.

"You will be upgraded," one of them informed as Zana took a step back.

"No, but you can't. Please!" Jackie cowered back reflexively as the Cyberman reached out to her. Just as Zana stepped forward to grab her, the two aliens exploded right in front of them and fell to the floor. 

"What the hell?" Cynthia breathed as they stepped over the pile of metal below them. They all looked forward as the smoke cleared, and Zana's eyes widened at the sight before her. 

"Pete?" Jackie breathed in disbelief.

Pete Tyler, the man who Zana had only met once back in his universe, smiled widely at her. "Hello, Jacks."

She looked past him to the onlooking Doctor, Rose, and...Oh my god. She stepped forward slightly. Her mind flashed back to earlier in the day when she thought the worst thing that could happen to her was a scolding from her parents. When she had left the TARDIS. That man...that man she had run into... "Mickey..." she breathed.

"I said there were ghosts," Jackie gulped, "but that's not fair. Why him?"

"I'm not a ghost.," Pete shook his head.

"But you're dead. You died twenty years ago, Pete!"

"It's Pete from a different universe," the Doctor spoke up softly as Rose looked on in awe. Zana could only imagine what this was like for her best friend. "There are parallel worlds, Jackie. Every single decision we make creates a parallel existence, a different dimension where-"

"Oh, you can shut up," Jackie shook her head, her eyes still focused on the love of her life. "Oh, you look old."

Pete chuckled, "You don't."

"How can you be standing there?"

"I just got lucky. Lived my life. You were left on your own. You didn't marry again, or..." 

Jackie looked down, "There was never anyone else. Twenty years, though. Look at me. I never left that flat. Did nothing with myself."

"You brought her up," he nodded back towards his parallel daughter. "Rose Tyler. That's not bad."

She smiled faintly, "Yeah."

"In my world, it worked. All those daft little plans of mine, they worked," he told her softly. "Made me rich."

"I don't care about that," Jackie informed quickly before pausing, making everyone smile fondly. "How rich?"

"Very."

"I don't care about that." Another pause. "How very?"

"Thing is though, Jacks, you're not my wife," Pete looked down. It was obvious the words pained him. "I'm sorry, but you're not. I mean, we both...You know, it's just sort of...Oh, come here!" He threw his gun to the ground, and everyone watched with tears in their eyes and smiles as they ran towards each other, into each other's arms. Zana watched him happily with warm tears streaming down her cheeks.

"Zana..." a voice made her look past them, and her smile widened at the man smiling back at her. Before she even knew she was doing it, she ran forward and met Mickey Smith in the middle, laughing happily as he pulled her into his embrace. He lifted her from the ground and spun her around as he let out a laugh of his own. "I've definitely missed ya!"

"Oh, Mickey! I've missed you so much more!" She buried her face into his shoulder as he sat her down. "I thought I'd never see that wonderful smile of yours again!"

"You know me, always full of surprises," he gave her his classic smug grin, one she had admittedly missed.

"We better go," the Doctor interrupted, quickly tearing his gaze from his companion as he turned and walked down the corridor. Mickey and Zana shared a glance, but they quickly followed after him. 

Ever the faithful companions.

~*~*~*~

"Doctor, that's a bloodbath," Rose gripped his arm as she, Zana, and their Time Lord stood just behind the only thing keeping them from the battle between the Daleks, the Cybermen, and even the Humans.

"Rose, I have to," he uncurled her fingers from his arm and offered her an assuring smile. "I'll be back before you know it."

"Doctor..." Zana sighed. She wasn't too fond of him going in there either. "Why do you even need clamps?"

"I just do," he retorted shortly before turning and pushing the wooden doors open. Rose and Zana instantly gripped each other's hands as they watched him duck and made his way through the stray bullets and lasers. Their hearts were about to burst through their chests.

"Come on..." Rose mumbled quietly as he made it to a large wooden box. He quickly stood and grabbed two large, metal, black clamps from the crate before crouching down in an attempt to dodge the gunfire. He started back towards the doors, but halfway there, he tripped over a fallen Cyberman.

"Almost, Doctor," Zana murmured, watching as he forced himself up. She and Rose let out a sigh of relief when he rushed back through the doors, making sure to close them behind him.

"Hold these," he held the clamps out to Zana, who started to protest. He simply ignored her and handed them to her.

"Oh..." she lifted them, studying them intently. "These aren't heavy at all, actually."

The Time Lord paid no mind to her discovery, instead pulling out his 3D glasses and sliding them onto his face. He yanked the door open once more and glanced out at the chaos before them. Rose and Zana watched as well, neither of them commenting on his odd choice of eyewear.

"Override roof mechanism!" The unmistakable voice of a Dalek called out, and just as he commanded, the shutters of the roof began to open. "Elevate!"

"What're they doing?" Rose whispered, confused. "Why do they need to get outside?"

"Time Lord science," he mumbled a response without so much as glancing at her. "What Time Lord science?" He pulled the glasses from his face. "What is it?" The three of them watched as the Dalek in question and what Rose had explained was the Genesis Ark began to elevate towards the sky. As soon as the two of them were out of sight, they turned back into the corridor. "We've got to see what it's doing!" The Doctor grabbed the clamps from Zana's grasp and quickly darted down the corridor. "We've got to go back up. Come on! All of you. Top floor!"

"That's forty-five floors up!" Cynthia informed hurriedly.

"We could always take the lift!" A voice called from behind them. All of them turned to see a man Zana recognized as Jake from the parallel world stepped out of the lift, a small smile playing at his lips. 

~*~*~*~

As soon as the lift doors opened, the Doctor rushed out into Yvonne's office, sitting the clamps on her desk. He was quick to make it to the window looking out into the city, and everyone else as right behind him.

"Oh my god..." Zana breathed. She couldn't believe her eyes. The Genesis Ark was before them, emitting hundreds of Daleks into the city. Just when she had thought her luck had changed...

"Time Lord science," the Doctor explained, his eyes wide. "It's bigger on the inside."

"Did the Time Lords put those Daleks in there?" Mickey asked from behind the Time Lord. "What for?"

"It's a prison ship."

"How many Daleks?" Rose pondered as she looked up at the Doctor worriedly.

"Millions."

Somberness covered the room like a thick blanket at his answer. It seemed as though the oxygen had become thinner. Earth had been invaded, there was absolutely no denying that. All they had, it seemed, were each other, and even that could change at any minute. As those thoughts flashed through Zana's head, she glanced down to see Rose lace her fingers with the Doctor's. The teen let out a soft sigh at the sight before managing a small smile. Oh, who was she kidding? Nothing was going to rip them apart, not now. They had gone through too bloody much today just to be taken away from each other. No. She had her Rose, and she had her Doctor. 

There was no way they were going down without a fight, and if there was one thing she had learned, it's that when the three of them were together, they were indomitable.

~*~*~*~

A/N: Well...damn.


	23. Doomsday Pt. 2

The all too familiar sound of Cybermen marching at attention filled the streets of Planet Earth, as well as Zana Kline's ears. She glanced down from her spot at the window, her heart skipping a beat when an army of emotionless creatures flooded her vision. The Daleks, who the Doctor had yet to peel his eyes from, quickly turned their attention from the people of London to their other enemies. Soon, cries of deletion and extermination consumed the air as they opened fire at each other. Instantly, everyone stepped away from the glass, opting that it wasn't the safest of places. She took a deep breath and grabbed Rose's hand as the blonde watched her mother and her parallel father.

"I'm sorry, but you've had it," Pete Tyler said with a shake of his head. "This world's going to crash and burn. There's nothing we can do. We're going home." He reached his hand out to one of the soldiers he had brought with him from his world. The disciplined woman handed him a yellow medallion of sorts, who he, in turn, tossed to his lost love. "Jacks, take this. You're coming with us."

"But they're destroying the city," Jackie Tyler protested as she glanced down at the strange device.

"I'd forgotten you could argue," Pete smiled with endearment as he carefully slid the device around her neck before taking Jackie's head into his hands. "It's not just London, it's the whole world. But there's another world just waiting for you, Jacks. And it's safe as long as the Doctor closes the breach," he turned to the man in question, who was still staring out the window. "Doctor?"

"Oh, I'm ready! I've got the equipment right here. Thank you, Torchwood!" the Doctor turned around to reveal the same pair of 3D glasses over his eyes. That wasn't the weirdest thing he was donning, however. That had to go to his manic grin. His two faithful companions, along with Mickey, Jake, Cynthia, and Jackie and Pete Tyler, watched with bemusement as he dashed to one of the computer terminals and began to work. "Slam it down and close off both universes!"

"Reboot systems," an automated voice called out.

"But we can't just leave," Rose frowned as she stepped up to him. "What about the Daleks? And the Cybermen?"

"They're part of the problem, and that makes them part of the solution," he stepped away from the computer and rushed around the desk, the same grin still on his face. "Oh yes! Well? Isn't anyone going to ask what is it with the glasses?"

"What is it with the glasses?" Rose and Zana asked in unison, the two of them unconsciously growing wide smiles of their own. They couldn't help it. The Doctor did that to them, and they were completely fine with that.

"I can see, that's what!" He exclaimed excitedly as he began to wave his hands about. He spoke with them just as much as he spoke with words. "Because we've got two separate worlds, but in between the two separate worlds, we've got the Void. That's where the Daleks were hiding. And the Cybermen traveled through the Void to get here. And you lot, one world to another, via the Void! Oh, I like that! Via the Void. Look!" He took off his 3D spectacles and slid them over Rose's eyes. "I've been through it," he began moving side to side, making Zana beam. "Do you see?"

"Reboot in three minutes," the automated voice announced, but no one paid any mind. Zana was too busy watching her friend reached out above the Doctor's shoulder as if she was touching something.

"Let me see," she stepped up to the two of them giddily. Rose slid the glasses off and Zana held them up to her own glasses, gasping at the sight before her. "Oh my god. What is it, Doctor?"

"Void stuff!" He beamed widely at her.

"Like uh, background radiation!" Rose snapped her fingers and pointed at the Doctor, who nodded in affirmation.

"That's it. Zan, look at the others," he instructed as he turned her around to face the onlooking group. He wrapped his arm around the brunette's shoulders as he pointed at them. "And the only ones who haven't been through the Void, you and Rose's mums. First time Jackie's looked normal all in her life!"

"Oi," Jackie gave him an annoyed look, but he paid no mind as he turned and rushed towards the large, empty, white wall at the end of the room. Rose and Zana dashed after him.

"But the Daleks lived inside the Void. They're bristling with it! Cybermen, all of them," he looked up the height of the wall. "I just open the Void and reverse. The Void stuff gets sucked back inside!"

Rose laughed, "Pulling them all in!"

"Pulling them all in!" The Doctor and Zana repeated together with a laugh.

"Sorry," Mickey spoke up. "What's the Void?"

"The dead space," the Doctor's happy demeanor shifted slightly. "Some people call it Hell."

"So you're sending the Daleks and Cybermen to Hell," Mickey chuckled and slid a yellow device of his own around his neck before turning to Jake. "Man, I told you he was good."

"No..." Zana's voice came out too soft to be heard, but the way Rose's shoulders had slumped told her that she had worked it out as well. How was the Doctor expecting them to survive this?

"But it's like you said. We've all got Void stuff. Me and Zana too, because we went to that parallel world..." Zana looked down at her hand, and sure enough, the background radiation surrounded her like a swarm of insects. She even failed to notice the Doctor moving to stand in front of her and Rose. "We're all contaminated. We'll get pulled in."

"That's why you've got to go," the Doctor's voice had lost its excited tone. His eyes trailed over his loyal and loving companion as if he'd never see her again. In a way, Zana realized with wide eyes, he wasn't. He finally met Rose's gaze as she looked up at him, confused.

"Reboot in two minutes," Zana wanted to throw something at that damned computer, knowing now that it was counting down her last moments with Rose Tyler. She already felt her throat start to close up as her eyes began to burn with unshed tears. She can't lose her. Not Rose, she couldn't bear it. She fully believed that Rose was the glue holding her together, and she was not ready to fall apart yet.

"Back to Pete's world," he suddenly looked up at the group. "Hey, we should call it that! Pete's World!" His attention was soon back on Rose. "I'm opening the Void, but only on this side. You'll be safe on that side."

"And then you close it, for good?" Rose whispered.

"The breach itself is soaked in Void stuff. In the end, it'll close itself. And that's it. Kaput."

"But you stay on this side?"

"But we'll get pulled in," Zana finally tore her gaze from her hands and looked up to the Doctor. "You and I will...no."

"Zana...you have to go too," he informed in a hushed tone. "I can't risk losing you. I just...I can't. I'm so sorry." He gave her one last look before rushing past her and grabbing the large clamps from the desk. "That's why I got these. I'll just have to hold on tight. I've been doing it all my life."

"No," Zana repeated, her mind still buzzing with his words. "There's no way in hell I'm leaving. My mum and dad-"

"Are at no risk of being pulled in," he finished, his eyes conveying so many emotions it was hard for Zana to keep up. She reached out and gripped the fabric of his pinstriped suit between her fingers. The two of them shared a long look, so much being said without so much as a word being uttered. Couldn't he see how this would completely ruin her? Leaving this world...leaving him...was unimaginable.

"I'm supposed to go..." Rose spoke up, clearly just as shocked as her best friend. The Doctor was pulled back to reality by her words and stepped back from Zana's grasp. She didn't try to fight him as he went back to work on the computers.

"Yeah," the Doctor replied evenly as he avoided her gaze.

"To another world, and then it gets sealed off."

"Yeah."

"Forever," she let out a humorless laugh and shook her head, sharing a look with her mum. "That's not going to happen."

As if this Universe heard her words, the building around them shook violently. Zana was just regaining her footing when Pete and his soldiers began rushing forward.

"We haven't got time to argue. The plan works. We're going," he glanced down at Jackie. "You too. All of us."

"No, I'm not leaving here!" Rose started after him.

Jackie shook her head defiantly, "I'm not going without her."

"Oh, my God. We're going!" He shouted frustratedly.

"I've had twenty years without you, so button it!" She glared at him. "I'm not leaving her."

"You've got to..." Rose informed softly, a stark contrast to Jackie's harsh tone.

"Well, that's tough!"

"Mum..."

"Reboot in one minute."

"Shut up," Zana whispered angrily as she tightened her fists into balls.

"I've had a life with you for nineteen years, but then I met the Doctor, and all the things I've seen him do for me, for you, for all of us," Rose's emotions got the best of her as her voice broke. Zana couldn't imagine Rose without the Doctor, and she certainly couldn't imagine the Doctor without his Rose. "For the whole stupid planet and every planet out there. He does it alone, mum. But not anymore, because now he's got me..."

Before Zana even knew what was happening, the Doctor stepped around her and towards Rose, who was oblivious to his actions. The brunette's eyes widened as she watched him slide a medallion around Rose's neck, and seconds later, she was completely gone, along with her parents, Mickey, Jake, and their soldiers.

"Bring her back!" Zana shouted the demand harshly. Her pulse had quickened exponentially as she grabbed the Doctor's arm. "Doctor, bring her back! Do it now! Do you hear me? Now!"

"I can't," he replied, his tone that of someone who just lost something sacred to them. "Zana, the only reason you aren't with her is that your parents are here. You were right about that. She's with her family. She'll be happy. She's safe."

Zana had a thousand different arguments in her, and she was determined to use each and every one of them. She needed her Rose just as much as the Doctor did, and she needed him to see that. Why does he do this to himself? Why is he so selfless?

"Doctor, we need Rose with us. She's everything-"

"...I think this is the on switch," the woman in question's beautiful Cockney accent filled their ears, making them spin around to see the blonde fidgeting with the medallion around her neck.

"Rose..." Zana breathed as she moved towards her, but the Doctor shoved her aside and gripped his companion's shoulders.

"Once the breach collapses, that's it. You will never be able to see her again," his voice was overflowing with feeling as he gave her a gentle shake. "Your own mother!"

"I made my choice a long time ago, and I'm never going to leave you," she replied calmly. Relief washed over Zana as she closed her eyes and leaned her head back. "So what can I do to help?"

"Systems rebooted. Open access."

"Those coordinates over there, set them all at six," he pointed towards the computer terminal. "And hurry up!"

Rose instantly did as told, taking off her device in the process. Zana watched her with a soft smile as the Doctor moved to work at the other computer, obviously not too happy with Rose's stubbornness.

"I can't imagine the TARDIS without you," Zana murmured to Rose as she moved to help her. And she meant that with the entirety of her heart. "It would feel empty."

"I can't imagine life without the TARDIS," Rose smiled up at her. "Or you." The teenager beamed as the computer next to her started to beep. They turned their attention to it. "We've got Cybermen on the way up," the blonde informed the Doctor calmly as Zana gulped. Just what they needed.

"How many floors down?" The Doctor hurried over at them.

"Just one."

"Zana," Cynthia's voice made her jump. She quickly turned to see her mother cradling her mobile to her chest. "Your father's safe but they've lost a lot of men. He's not sure how much longer he can hold them."

"Don't worry, Mum," Zana stepped up to her and laid a hand on her shoulder. "The Doctor is stopping them any minute now, alright? Everything's going to be fine, I promise you."

She nodded, although Zana wasn't too sure if her mum believed her. The older Kline reached up and wiped a stray tear from her cheek. "I can't lose him, Zana. You and your father are everything to me, and I've almost lost the both of you in a span of ten minutes. My nerves can't take this."

"Try traveling with him," her daughter cracked the smallest of smiles as she nodded towards the Time Lord. "Definitely keeps me on my toes. But as you said...he's everything to me."

"Levers operational," the familiar automated voice filled the air, making the Doctor smile widely.

"That's more like it. Bit of a smile," Rose grinned as she walked over to him. He grabbed the two clamps off of Yvonne's desk and started out of her office. "The old team."

"Hope and Glory, Mutt and Jeff, Shiver and Shake," the Doctor rambled, much to the amusement of Zana. She loved watching them banter. It was almost like nothing was wrong.

Rose raised an eyebrow, "Which one's Shiver?"

"Oh, I'm Shake," the Doctor grinned before handing her one of the clamps. The two of them rushed to the opposite side of the room, securing their respective clamps onto the wall right in front of the ghost shift levers. "Press the red button," the Doctor instructed, and she did as told, locking it in place.

"What about me?" Zana pondered lightly. "And what about my mother? Where does she go?"

"You're with Rose, Zan," the Doctor informed quickly. "Mrs. Kline, I think it best that you try to stay behind something. The Daleks and the Cybermen will be flying through those windows with tremendous power, so you'll need to be out of their way. I'm sorry."

"What are you sorry for? You're saving the planet," Cynthia offered him the smallest of smiles before pressing a kiss to Zana's forehead. "Stay safe. I'll see you when this is over."

"Definitely," Zana nodded with a smile of her own. She watched as her mother hurried through a doorway and out into a corridor.

"Zan, when it starts, just hold on tight," the Doctor called to her. She nodded and quickly made her way to the clamp on the wall as he and Rose rushed towards the levers. "Shouldn't be too bad for us but the Daleks and the Cybermen are steeped in Void stuff. Are you two ready?"

"They definitely are," Zana nodded towards a group of Daleks just outside the window.

"Let's do it!" The Doctor exclaimed. He and Rose quickly pushed up on the levers before reaching for the clamps.

"Online."

Zana held out her hand to Rose, who took it without hesitation. A blinding light filled the room as the breach opened up, and instantly, Daleks broke through the windows and were pulled into the Void as they cried out "Emergency! Emergency!"

"The breach is open! Into the Void!" The Doctor looked over at Zana and Rose and beamed. "Ha!"

"It's working! It's actually working!" Zana laughed excitedly as Rose wrapped her arms around her. She chose to ignore the aching that was already consuming the muscles in her arms. "We did it!"

Sparks began to shoot from the lever directly in front of them, it seemed just to spite the hopeful companion. She and Rose watched in disbelief as the lever began to fall from its upright position. Without a second thought, Rose Tyler let go of the one thing keeping her safe and fell towards the lever in an attempt to fix it. Panic filled the Doctor and Zana instantly.

"Hold on!" The Doctor yelled loudly, watching her every single move. One slip...just one...and she'd disappear into the Void.

"I've got to get it upright!" Rose shouted over the monstrous winds. Zana and the Doctor watched with horror in their eyes as she struggled to push the lever up.

"Rose, be careful!" Zana called to her, stretching her arm out to her as far as she could, but it was still nowhere close enough. Moments later, Rose had somehow managed to get the lever upright once more, successfully restoring the breach to its entirety.

"Online and locked."

Zana groaned as the winds became almost unbearable. Her body was burning with the effort to reach Rose. "Rose! Grab my hand! Rose!"

Rose quickly reached for Zana's outstretched hand as the two of them locked eyes. The world around them seemed to slow to a halt as they saw the panic and fear in each other's eyes.

They were going to lose.

"Zana! Rose! Hold on!" The Doctor shouted, his voice straining as he looked on in terror. He couldn't tear his eyes away, no matter how much it would shatter him to see them slip. "Hold on!"

"No!" A loud scream filled the air as Zana's fingertips started to slip from the metal clamp. It took Zana a few seconds to register that it wasn't her who screamed: it was Rose. The teenager's heart jumped into her throat as her fear overtook her.

"I can't lose you!" Zana yelled back, her hand still waiting for Rose to grip it. "Rose, please!"

"I can't reach you!" Rose's voice cracked, and with tears in her eyes, her fingers completely slipped. "Zana!"

"Rose!" The Doctor and Zana let out a bloodcurdling scream as they watched her fall towards the endless Void. She looked at both of them with desperation in her eyes, as if she was waiting for them to save her, and god knows they wanted to. It took everything Zana had not to let go and reach out to her best friend. The best friend who had introduced her to this life wonder and adventure. Who had held her hand and calmed her down when her mind was getting the best of her. Who she loves dearly and deeply and for as long as she will live.

"They keep on trying to split us up, but they never ever will."

"We'll look after you, Zana. I promise."

"Hey, everything is going to be okay, I promise. I'm right here."

Rose Tyler, Defender of the Earth. You promised...

The Doctor and Zana looked on as she was engulfed by the one person they least expected: Pete Tyler. Instantly, Rose Tyler looked back and gave her friends one last silent plea for help before she and her father disappeared, back into Pete's World, and now, Rose's as well.

"Systems closed."

"No..." Zana's voice came out soft and broken as the breach sealed itself, separating the Doctor and her from Rose forevermore. She didn't even bother stopping herself from falling to the floor below her. Tears were already staining her cheeks as she refused to tear her eyes away from the empty wall at the other end of the room. "No, no...Rose..."

The Doctor wordlessly stepped towards the wall without so much as a glance her way, his face emotionless, but his eyes full of loss. Zana sobbed profusely and reached up to wipe her eyes as she looked on. She could only imagine what was going through his head. Sure, he'd lost people in the past, and it pained him to even think about those who still inhabited this Earth alive and well. But if losing Rose Tyler tore Zana apart...it must have killed a part of him. A part Zana knew was never going to be revived.

~*~*~*~*~

The TARDIS refused to brighten the lights in the console room as her two remaining inhabitants stepped through her wooden doors. Zana knew she understood. She just wished that she could fully understand it herself. Rose was gone. Forever. This ancient spaceship will never be the same...what was she supposed to do? How was she supposed to make the Doctor smile again when the woman he loves is trapped in a parallel world? How was she supposed to make the TARDIS whirr happily again? How was she supposed to go on like a piece of her hadn't just been ripped away?

"Zana..." the Doctor's broken voice made her look up at the Time Lord. He was staring at the time rotor as if it held all the answers to her questions. She absently stepped up to him and took his hand in hers, holding it as tight as she could. She was afraid he'd slip away as well.

"I'm here," she whispered, closing her eyes and leaning her head against his shoulder. Tears started to spill from her eyes once more. "I'm here, Doctor..."

It was like he had been waiting to hear those words to pass through her lips. His arms wrapped around her and he pulled her impossibly close as if he was clinging on for dear life. Maybe he too thought that she'd be pulled away any second. She squeezed her eyes shut and held him to her as he finally allowed his tears to flow down his cheeks.

"Why?" He sobbed into her neck repeatedly, and Zana soon realized he wasn't asking her. He was asking the Universe. Why did this have to happen to him? Why now? Why her? "Zana..."

"I'm here," she repeated softly as her own tears soaked into his shoulder. "I'm so sorry...I couldn't save her."

He shook his head, "You would have been pulled away too. I don't think I can deal with losing both of you at the same time..."

"I'm not going anywhere," she murmured softly, moving her arms so that they were wrapped around his neck. "This is my home now, Doctor."

"You're staying?" He breathed as he pulled back slightly so that he could meet her gaze. "Even after-" He had to stop himself. He couldn't say it.

She nodded, gently reaching up to wipe a few of his tears. She had never seen him cry before, and she definitely didn't like it. He deserved the entirety of the Universe. If she could be there, in Pete's World, and Rose be here by his side...if it made him smile...she'd be gone in a heartbeat.

"Thank you, Zana Kline," he whispered, closing his eyes as he pressed his forehead to hers. His shaky hands enveloped hers as her eyes drifted closed as well. "If I had lost you..."

"I know..." she smiled sadly at the thought. He didn't deserve to be alone. "Doctor...is there really no way we can get her back? Surely there-"

"No," his voice was quiet but stern. "Two universes would collapse in on themselves, Zan. I can't risk that."

She bit her lip as she gave his hands a comforting squeeze. "I know it's going to be a long time until either of us are okay again, Doctor. I know that you lost someone you care for deeply, and I did too. But promise me, Time Lord, that we will not mourn her because she's not dead. She's so alive. She sacrificed her life here, in this Universe, so that it could be safe and sound."

The faintest of smiles ghosted over his lips as he opened his eyes to look into hers, "Oh, Zan..."

"See?" A small smile of her own started to form. "She'd want you to smile and remember your times together! She'd want me to tease you about your daft grin and laugh at you when you'd get all flustered! She'd want us to carry on, but hold her close, as if she were still here."

"Are you sure?" He murmured, gulping slightly.

"I'm only ever been surer on one other thing in my life," she smiled warmly as his eyes began to return to their usual brightness and his smile began to overwhelm his features. It was one of the things she adored about him, after all. "Don't be sad because it's over. Smile because it happened."

"Was that a Dr. Suess quote?" He raised an eyebrow, neither of them noticing how the lights around them began to brighten, or how the TARDIS's whirrs were becoming less somber. "Are you really quoting Dr. Suess?"

"He is arguably the greatest writer to ever live," Zana couldn't help but laugh as she pulled out of their embrace. Right now, they needed a break from their bleak reality. "He's right up there with Shakespeare, I'd dare say he surpasses him by far!"

"Take that back," the Doctor pointed at her with mock sternness as she sauntered around the control panel. He walked around the other way, meeting her in the middle. "The is no greater writer than the bard himself!"

"I'm afraid I'd have to disagree with you, my dear Doctor," she beamed up at him cheekily. "The works of many a people outrank good ole' Will in my books. Edgar Allen Poe, Oscar Wilde, Dr. Suess-"

"I can't even bear to hear such nonsense!" He shook his head but finally broke out into a laugh.

"Would you like me to write it down, then?"

He smiled down at her, "What would I do without you, Zana Kline?"

"I try not to think about it," she smiled softly as she nudged him gently. "I think it best now that we try to get some rest, Doctor. Today was long and nerve-wracking. And I know you're going to argue and such, but I'm not going to hear it, Time Lord. We have a big day tomorrow."

"What's tomorrow?" He raised a curious eyebrow.

"I thought perhaps we could go and see a star that has never been discovered and name it after a very special person indeed," Zana informed lightly. It was a silly plan, she knew, but she was sentimental. She had to honor her Rose somehow. "How does that sound?"

"It sounds perfect," he whispered as he smiled tearfully.

She gave his hand a squeeze, "Then I suppose this is goodnight, Doctor. Try and get some sleep, yeah? You need it."

He nodded, and what had become a nightly ritual, he pressed his lips to her forehead. She closed her eyes at the sweet contact and smiled softly. "Goodnight, Zana Kline."

"Goodnight, Doctor."

With that, Zana reluctantly left his comforting embrace and made her way back to her dimly lit room. While her heart ached with an unrelenting pain at the loss of her beautiful Rose, a small, wonderful spark of hope filled her chest and made her feel warm inside. Seeing the Doctor smile and even laugh after such a day was enough for her to stay strong. He needed her, and the universe knew that she sure as hell needed him.

Her Doctor.

She would be strong for him.

~*~*~*~

A/N: PART THREE IS COMING! Ah! I decided to go ahead and post this, as I've had this written for quite some time, and I promise to post part three at a later date. Thank you so, so much to every single person who had read this story and who loves Zana as much as I do. I hope to get back in the pattern of updating more regularly, but with college, I'm always hellaaaaa busy. I hope you enjoy! :)


	24. The Runaway Bride

Any kind of optimism Zana might have heralded the night of her best friend's untimely departure from the TARDIS seemed to fade by the time she awoke the next morning. She felt a tight knot in her chest the second her eyes opened and it nearly took all the air from her lungs. Her throat was scratchy and raw from her night of tears and sobs. Her sheets were on her floor, as she had thrashed around in her sleep. She was miserable. She felt no joy in the spaceship she called home. Without Rose, she wasn't sure if the TARDIS could ever feel like home again.

The only reason the mourning companion pulled herself out of bed was the constant thought that, if she was this distraught about the sacrifice made by her beautiful friend, then the Time Lord the two of them called a best friend must be absolutely and utterly inconsolable.

The brunette teenager, who had only just celebrated her nineteenth birthday on Mars not too long ago with her two friends, stood before the mirror in her bathroom, studying her features. Her hair fell past her shoulders in braids, which had become matted from the night of unrest. Her eyes were red and swollen, while her cheeks bore the stains of the tears she shed. Sadness never looked good on Zana, but unfortunately, she was rather familiar with the reflection before her. Yet this sadness was different. It was deeper than she had ever felt. It was unbearable.

How would her life ever be the same without Rose Tyler?

~*~*~*~

The TARDIS was trying desperately to lighten the spirits of its two remaining inhabitants, making sure the corridors and the console room were brightly lit. She was conscious of the wheezing of her engines and the sounds of her time rotor, as she knew just how much her Zana adored hearing them. But her Time Lord...she has not seen him this broken inside since the day they had escaped The Great Time War. He felt more alone now than ever before. The TARDIS knew, and in many ways, felt, the pain the Doctor holds in his hearts, but never like this. This pain wasn't going away anytime soon. Rose had saved his life. She had given him purpose after the extinction of his race and his world. She made him happy again. She made him smile. She made him feel like the Doctor again, and not just another soldier in the Universe's deadliest war.

"Hey, Old Girl," Zana's voice was weak, but she put on a smile as if the ancient ship could see it. Zana wasn't exactly aware of the extent of the TARDIS's telepathic abilities. If she had been, she wouldn't have gone through the trouble of faking a smile. The TARDIS could feel her emotions too. Nevertheless, she whirred in response and lit up the console in a warming manner. For a split second, her inhabitant's smile wasn't just an act. "Where is he? Is he okay?"

In response to her question, the TARDIS lit up the corridor Zana had just entered from. She knew Zana was clever, so it came as no surprise when her human friend started down the path she was making. About halfway to their destination, the Old Girl felt Zana's singular heart clench in her chest with realization. She had figured out where their Time Lord was. Her breathing became slightly more ragged as she eventually came to a stop in front of the bedroom of Rose Tyler.

"Oh, Doctor..." Zana's voice broke as she pressed her forehead against the door before her. The door slowly began to open at the TARDIS's command and the brunette quietly eased the door open at the encouragement.

~*~*~*~

There he was.

The Time Lord was fast asleep on Rose's bed, clutching a familiar purple and blue shirt in one of his hands. Zana felt a calmness go through her after seeing the peaceful look on his face, but it soon vanished as she reminded herself of the reality that awaited him when he finally woke up.

Rose's room was just as she had left it. Her clothes were scattered across her floor while various trinkets from her many adventures decorated her walls. Pictures of Jackie, Mickey, the Doctor, and even a few of Zana were taped to her vanity mirror. Zana felt herself walking up to it, quietly looking over the familiar photos before looking down and seeing her friend's makeup just as she had left it yesterday morning before going to see her mum.

Gone in an instant. Zana couldn't understand it.

Before her thoughts could overtake her, she heard a shuffling behind her and turned to see the Doctor rousing from his sleep. Zana felt a moment of panic, fearing how he would feel seeing her in Rose's room when he woke. Just as she went to hurry out of the door, the Doctor murmured her name. His voice was rough from sleep and tears.

"I'm here," she responded softly as she stood in place. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to wake you."

She watched as his hand loosened around Rose's shirt, letting it lay on the bed beside him. He laid there in silence for a few moments, only deciding to open his eyes to look at his remaining companion a few minutes later, "You didn't."

Zana frowned at his words, watching as he got up and sat on the side of the bed, "Are you okay?"

Silence again. He rested his elbows on his knees and clasped his hands together, as if in deep thought. She almost missed the quiet "no" that passed through his lips.

For once, she had nothing to say to comfort him. She was in just as much distress as he was. She was of absolutely no help to the Time Lord.

"I..." she couldn't even begin to think of the right words to say to him. She felt herself start to crumble. "I miss her so much."

The Doctor watched with sad eyes as his friend began to weep and instinctively stood from his spot. He took a few steps forward and instead of offering a comforting hug, he allowed his own emotion to come through and fell into her embrace, defeated. He felt her arms wrap around him tightly and immediately pulled her closer as he allowed himself to mourn his Rose in the safety of Zana's arms.

~*~*~*~

"Get up, now!" the Doctor yanked Zana's duvet off of her sleeping body abruptly, startling his human companion into consciousness with a shout. Before Zana could even ask him what was wrong, he had instructed her to get dressed and dashed out of her room.

Zana allowed herself to sit on her bed in a post-sleep daze before working up the will to climb out of bed. She unenthusiastically slid on a pair of jeans, opting to leave her pajama shirt on, which was just an old t-shirt she had snuck from Rose's closet, and pulled on her socks and trainers before making her way towards the console room. She worked at pulling her hair up in a ponytail as she allowed the TARDIS's whirring to comfort her.

The past two weeks have been spent on board the TARDIS. Admittedly, Zana had fallen into a state of depression that could only be soothed by sleep. She hadn't felt like this since before that fateful Christmas Day that led her to Rose and the Doctor, and it was an almost foreign feeling to the teen, but she couldn't deny what it was. While sleep was all Zana did, it was quite the opposite for the Time Lord. Zana wasn't sure he had even slept since the night Rose had been pulled away, which filled her with concern, but due to her own state, she hasn't done a single thing about it. He was mourning. So was she. They were good about being there for each other when one of them needed solace, but admittedly, they were even better at staying away from one another the rest of the time. They couldn't seem to accept the fact that it was just them now.

"What do you need, Doctor?" Zana's voice hardly caused the Doctor to look up from what he was doing. She watched as he rushed around the console in an almost frantic manner. Zana frowned. "Doctor?"

"A star," he began, his tone surprising Zana. It held a tone she hadn't heard from him, or anyone, for weeks: hope. "Oh, you're brilliant, you are, Zan!" At his words, he stopped and gripped Zana's shoulders in excitement. "You said it, you said it that same night! I'm just thick! Thick! Thick! Thick!"

"What the hell are you going on about?" Zana's eyes held amusement, but part of her felt guilty for feeling some sort of joy without her friend being there to experience it with her. "What about a star? It was a daft idea-"

"Don't you start with that, because you're wrong," he gave her a pointed look before pulling her towards the scanner. "Look! What do you see?"

"A supernova," she replied bluntly, studying the celestial mass. "Well, technically, it's a binary cluster of white dwarves, on the verge of a supernova."

"Exactly," he nodded excitedly before rushing around the console to pull a lever. "A supernova, a big giant explosion, that when used right, can be used as a transmission device, stong enough to cross universes. And it just so happens that I've managed to find the last crack between our universe and Rose's."

It took a few seconds for the Doctor's words to click on her head, but the second they did, her eyes widened and she felt hope rise in her chest. "So you're saying we can use the supernova to get to Rose? We can save her?"

The Doctor's shoulders dropped slightly at her words. "No. That's not possible," his voice was solemn. "But we can project ourselves into her Universe, and her into the TARDIS. We can talk to each other again, one last time."

"The goodbye we didn't get..." Zana looked up at him and their eyes met.

He nodded at her words and gulped nervously. "Are you ready?"

"I can't wait another second," she answered hurriedly.

The Doctor quickly began to work at the console, occasionally asking Zana to help him when he needed an extra hand. Zana was bubbling with excitement and disbelief. She couldn't believe this was happening! She gets to hear Rose once more. She gets to say goodbye.

After a few moments of frantic work, a silence fell over the two of them.

"Now what do we do?" Zana asked quietly as she looked around in the hopes of seeing Rose.

"We call to her," he took Zana's hand into his own and led her around the console. His grip stayed as he closed his eyes and whispered his lost companion's name softly. He called out to her a few more times before Zana spoke up as well.

"Rose..." she called wistfully as she too closed her eyes. "Come on, Rose, come on..."

"Where are you?"

Zana's eyes snapped open the millisecond that all too familiar Cockney accent filled her head. She gasped as her friend appeared in front of them. She never thought she would ever see her again...

"Inside the TARDIS," the Doctor answered Rose's question gently, overcoming his own emotions in order to do so. He knew they didn't have much time. "There's one tiny little gap in the universe left, just about to close, and it takes a lot of power to send this projection. Zan and I in orbit around a supernova," he gave Zana's hand a squeeze, reminding her that this is reality. Rose was really before them. "We're burning up a sun just to say goodbye."

"She looks like a ghost..." Zana breathed as she studied her friend's appearance, longing to reach out and embrace her tightly.

"Zana," Rose let out a small laugh in an attempt to keep the tears at bay. Seeing her brunette friend alive and well relieved her tremendously. She was so scared that she hadn't let go in time, that she had caused Zana to slip into nothingness. She was scared that she had left the Doctor to face the Universe alone.

"Hold on," the Doctor quickly pulled out his sonic screwdriver and pressed the button, and seconds later the image of Rose solidified. It was like she was right there in front of them.

"Can I?" Rose stepped forward and reached out a hand, wanting to feel the Doctor once more. She wasn't the same without him.

"I'm still just an image," he spoke softly. Zana could tell it pained him just as much as it pained Rose. "No touch."

Rose let her hand fall back to her side, defeated. "Can't you and Zana come through properly?"

"The whole thing would fracture. Two universes would collapse."

"So?" Rose and Zana replied in unison, causing them to smile longingly at each other.

"Where are you?" Zana decided she needed to speak up more. She needed this closure.

"Where did the gap come out?" the Doctor added.

"We're in Norway," Rose informed softly.

"Norway," the Doctor nodded as if he had planned it. Zana knew, and she knew Rose knew, that he didn't. "Right."

"About fifty miles out of Burgen," she continued. "It's called 'Darlig Ulv Stranden'."

"Dalek?" Zana frowned worriedly.

"Darlig. It's Scandinavian for bad," she smiled knowingly at the Doctor. "This translates to Bad Wolf Bay." Zana felt her chest warm-up as Rose and the Doctor shared their moment of humor and happiness. It soon dissipated the second Rose asked, "How long have we gone?"

"About two minutes," the Doctor's words made Zana's heart ache. Two more minutes with Rose Tyler.

"I can't think of what to say!" Rose once again laughed in an effort to mask her tears, but there was no hiding what the three of them were feeling.

"How's Mickey, then?" Zana pondered as she smiled warmly. Rose's last memory of Zana needed to be strong. It needed to be happy. "Still brilliant?"

Rose chuckled as she reached up to wipe the tears from her cheeks, "He is, yeah. He misses ya, Zana. We all do. All five of us. Mum, Dad, Mickey, and the baby."

Both Zana and the Doctor's eyes widened in disbelief. "You're not..." the Doctor breathed.

"No," Rose smiled, amused. "It's Mum. She's three months gone. More Tylers on the way."

Zana's eyes widened at the news, "That's absolutely brilliant!"

"And what about you?" the Doctor cleared his throat, studying her intently. "Are you..."

"Yeah, I'm back working in the shop," Rose nodded with a disappointed sigh. Zana frowned at her words. There was no way.

"Oh, good for you," he nodded supportively, but Rose waved him off with a small laugh.

"Shut up. No, I'm not," she shook her head. "There's still a Torchwood on this planet. It's open for business. I think I know a thing or two about aliens."

Pride filled Zana at her friend's words."I can't even begin to put into words just how much I miss you, Rose," Zana felt her own tears creep up on her. Time was running out. "Oh, Rose...don't ever forget about me, okay?"

There was no holding it back anymore. A sob escaped Rose's lips as she covered her face with her hands, "I love you, Zana. You're my best mate, you remember that, okay? Always, You're gonna be so amazing, more than a match for 'im," she nodded at the Doctor, who smiled and glanced at the brunette beside him at her words.

"I promise to keep him out of trouble for you, Rose," Zana wiped her tears away as she chuckled, 

"Rose Tyler, Defender of the Earth," the Doctor said proudly before meeting the blonde's gaze. "You're dead, officially, back home. So many people died that day and you've gone missing." Zana closed her eyes at his words. Her mum had called and informed her of that news a week ago, unaware of what had happened to the woman. The news had hit her like a ton of bricks. "You're on a list of the dead," the Doctor attempted to lighten the mood. "Here you are, living a life day after day! The one adventure I can never have."

Rose just shook her head, still struggling to contain her tears, "Am I ever going to see you again?"

The Doctor finally dropped his facade and shook his head, "You can't."

"What're you two going to do?"

"Oh, I've got the TARDIS. I've got Zana," he smiled and squeezed his companion's hand. "Same old life, last of the Time Lords."

Zana looked up to see Rose looking at her with desperate eyes, and Zana instantly knew what she was struggling to say. Rose had been trying to say it long before her departure from the TARDIS.

"You can do it," Zana gave her one last smile, letting her tears fall freely as she released the Doctor's hand and stepped back, taking in her best friend's appearance for the final time. "Goodbye, Rose."

She laid a comforting hand on the Doctor's arm before walking past him, giving the two of them the privacy she knew they craved for their final farewell. The second she was out of sight, she slid down the wall of the corridor and held her head in her hands as she allowed herself to cry. For the first time in what feels like an eternity, her tears didn't steam from sadness, but of a bittersweet nature. She felt a sense of contentment fill her.

"I..." Rose's nervous voice made it's way to Zana as she closed her eyes and listened to her. She had watched the Doctor and Rose adore each other from afar and up close for so long. Despite the feelings Zana herself has grown for the Time Lord, she knew that the Doctor and Rose would forever hold an unbreakable bond that she could never replace. Frankly, she didn't want to. She knows she never could. "I love you."

"Quite right, too," the Doctor replied, his voice cracking ever so slightly. Zana felt her heart break for him. "And I suppose, if it's one last chance to say it...Rose Tyler-"

Zana sat there, anxiously awaiting to hear him utter those words, but he never did. The TARDIS grew eerily quiet. Too quiet. She quickly stood from her spot and rushed back into the console room only to be greeted by the sight of the Doctor staring into nothingness, tears streaming down his face.

"No, Doctor..." Zana's voice was full of sorrow as he closed his eyes, trying to come to terms with what had just happened to him. "Doctor, I'm...I'm so sorry..."

He shook his head at her words and wiped the tears from his face. Zana couldn't see him break, not again. Not after they just got to say goodbye to their long-lost friend. He needed to start rebuilding himself, he needed to be the Doctor again. For her.

"I'm fine," he assured before turning back to the console to pilot them away from the star they had burnt up.

Zana nodded knowingly at his words. There he was. There was her Doctor.

"How about..." Zana stepped up to him, deciding not to press into the matter at the moment. After all, nothing would ever return to how it was if they didn't put in the effort. She linked her arm through his and smiled up at him, their eyes meeting each other. "You and I-"

Before the words could leave her mouth, the two time travelers' attention was forced away from one another when a bright light filled the console room. Zana instinctively covered her eyes at the overwhelming light, but just as it started, it faded to reveal a woman with striking red hair, dressed in a beautiful wedding dress. It was safe to say that the woman wasn't too thrilled with her sudden appearance.

"What the hell..." Zana breathed as she released herself from the Doctor and stepped towards her. How in the hell did she just...appear? Could the TARDIS do that with people, just make them appear out of absolute nowhere?

"What?" the Doctor's disbelief was enough to answer the brunette's internal questions.

"Who are you?" the woman finally asked the two strangers in front of her. Well, more like demanded.

"But-"

"Where am I?"

"What?"

"What the hell is this place?"

"What?" the Doctor finally snapped into action and started rushing around the console, searching for an explanation for their newest passenger. "You can't do that. I wasn't...we're in flight! That is-that is physically impossible! How did-"

"Tell me where I am!" Zana flinched at the woman's loud tone, "I demand you tell me right now, where am I?"

"Inside the TARDIS," the Doctor informed absently as he worked.

"The what?"

"The TARDIS," Zana reiterated, trying to calm the frantic woman. She moved to step towards her, but the bride stepped back.

"The what?!"

The Doctor huffed, "The TARDIS!"

"The what?!"

Zana finally met the woman's gaze and offered her a comforting smile, "It's called the TARDIS."

"That's not even a proper word!" the bride scoffed. "You're just saying things!"

"How did you get in here?" the Doctor asked the woman hurriedly.

"Well, obviously, when you two kidnapped me!" the redhead glared at the two travelers. She was tired of them staring at her like she was some sort of circus act. "Who was it? Who's paying you? Is it Nerys?" she groaned in disbelief. "Oh my God, she's finally got me back. This has got Nerys written all over it!"

"Who's Nerys?" Zana frowned at the unusual name.

"Your best friend!"

Zana shook her head at the woman's words and let out a frustrated huff. There was no talking sense into this woman, that much had become apparent to the teen.

"Hold on, wait a minute," the Doctor stopped what he was doing and let his eyes look over the new occupant, "What are you dressed like that for?"

"Are you joking?" Zana turned to the Time Lord and gave him an exasperated look. His disbelief was clouding his common sense, apparently.

"I'm going ten pin bowling," the woman replied simply, actually earning a laugh from Zana. "Why do you think, dumbo?! I was halfway up the aisle! I've been waiting all my life for this! I was just seconds away, and then you, I don't know, you drugged me or something!"

The Doctor looked directly at the woman, "I haven't done anything."

"I'm having the police on you! Me and my husband, as soon as he is my husband, we're going to sue the living backside off you!" the bride huffed before looking around the odd room she had appeared in. The second her eyes spotted a set of doors, she dashed towards them.

"No, no, don't!" Zana took off after her, not wanting her to run out into the emptiness of space. The last thing they needed was to lose someone else. The woman managed to pull the doors open, and just as she went to step out, the sight of the burning star in front of her stopped her dead in her tracks. Zana and the Doctor shared a concerned look before the two of them stepped towards the distressed bride.

"You're in space. Outer space," the Doctor said calmly, watching as Zana became entranced by the sight in front of them. "This is my space...ship."

"It's called the TARDIS," Zana spoke softly as she turned her head to meet the woman's gaze. She could only imagine the panic the woman was feeling, being torn away from her wedding day only to appear in the middle of an alien spaceship with two complete strangers.

The woman gulped as she returned her gaze back to the vastness of space, "How am I breathing?"

"The TARDIS is protecting us," the Doctor informed.

"Who are you?"

"I'm the Doctor."

"And I'm Zana," she introduced gently. "And you are?"

"Donna."

The Doctor looked Donna up and down, "Human?"

Donna rolled her eyes but answered nonetheless. "Yeah. Is that optional?"

The Doctor rubbed the back of his neck anxiously, "Well, it is for me."

"You're an alien," she nodded, processing the new information for a second before turning to look at the young woman beside her. "Are you an alien too?"

"Human as they come," Zana assured with a chuckle. "Trust me, it's preferable."

Donna didn't seem to notice Zana's attempt at humor, "It's freezing with these doors open."

At her words, the Doctor reached over both her and Zana to close the wooden doors before rushing back toward the console. "I don't understand that and I understand everything. This-this can't happen! There is no way a human being can lock itself onto the TARDIS and transport itself inside." Zana and Donna watched him as he grabbed an ophthalmoscope from a doctor's bag on the console, moving to stand before Donna so that he could look into her eyes. "Impossible. Some sort of subatomic connection? Something in the temporal field? Maybe something pulling you into alignment with the Chronon shell," Zana couldn't help but grin at his rambling, "Maybe something macro mining your DNA within the interior matrix. Maybe a genetic-"

Suddenly, Donna reached up and planted a solid slap on the Doctor's left cheek, effectively silencing him. Zana quietly laughed to herself in amusement. Whoever the hell this Donna was, she certainly wasn't going to tolerate the Doctor's usual quirks.

"What was that for?!" the Doctor exclaimed in disbelief.

Donna simply glared at him, "Get me to the church!"

He snapped into action at her words, "Right! Fine! I don't want you here anyway! Where is this wedding?"

"Saint Mary's, Hayden Road, Chiswick, London, England, Earth, the Solar System," Donna listed off in annoyance as she watched Zana sit down on a seat next to the control panels, casually watching the madman work as if it was the most normal thing in the world. Her eyes wandered from Zana before landing on a shirt that was tossed over the railing, seemingly forgotten. She instantly snatched it up, "I knew it, acting all innocent! I'm not the first, am I? How many women have you two abducted?"

Zana and the Doctor turned to face her at her odd words, and instantly their faces dropped at the reminder of their departed friend. Rose's shirt was clenched in between the stranger's fingers as she angrily waited for their response.

"That's our friend's," the Doctor answered brokenly, as Zana simply couldn't find the words to say. Just as her mind had drifted from her loss, the thought was abruptly pulled back to the forefront.

"Where is she, then?" Donna pondered sarcastically, "Popped out for a spacewalk?"

Zana shook her head at the woman's words, "She's gone."

"Gone where?"

"We lost her," the Time Lord murmured.

"Well, you can hurry up and lose me!"

Zana began to feel sick. She was starting to grow a disliking for this Donna. Couldn't she see that they are hurting? Couldn't she tell they weren't a threat?

As if she heard Zana's thoughts, the woman's tone shifted to one of concern, "How do you mean, lost?"

The Doctor, having had enough, quickly grabbed the shirt from Donna's grip and tossed it onto Zana's lap, who neatly folded the item of clothing and set it beside her. "Right, Chiswick!"

He made quick work of piloting the ancient ship to Earth, the wheezing of the engines slowly fading out as they landed. Zana was right behind the anxious redhead, pulling the doors open and stepping out onto the Earth below them. She hadn't been back to her home planet since the Battle of Canary Wharf.

"I said, Saint Mary's," Donna huffed as she looked around the alley that they had landed in. "What sort of Martian are you? Where's this?"

"Something's wrong with her. The TARDIS," Zana turned to see the Doctor studying his ship with worrying eyes, "It's like she's...recalibrating! She's digesting!" He dashed back inside the police box, oblivious to the complete shock Donna had gone in after noticing the size of the TARDIS. "What is it? What have you eaten? What's wrong? Donna? You've really got to think. Is there anything that might've caused this?" Zana watched with pure amusement as Donna walked around the parameter of the blue box. Something was always so fascinating about watching someone make this discovery. "Anything you might've done? Any sort of alien contacts? I can't let you go wandering off..."

The Doctor's ramblings from inside the TARDIS faded from Zana's ears as she noticed Donna shift from amazed to frightened. It was too much for her, and Zana didn't blame her one bit when she turned and started in the direction opposite of the TARDIS. Out of instinct, she started following after her. She couldn't just let Donna walk off alone on her wedding day. What if something bad had happened to her? How in the hell did she transport herself onboard the TARDIS? Zana had so many questions but hardly any answers. It was like traveling with the Doctor in a nutshell, she thought to herself.

They were nearly to the road when the Doctor yelled Donna's name, dashing towards them. Donna didn't even bother turning around.

"Donna," the Doctor tried, glancing at Zana in a silent plea for help.

"Leave me alone," Donna shook her head. "I just want to get married."

"Come back to the TARDIS," he insisted.

"No way. That box is too weird."

Zana shrugged at Donna's declaration. She couldn't disagree, the weirdness of the TARDIS is what she loved most. "It's bigger on the inside, smaller on the outside. That's all, really."

"Oh! That's all?" Donna huffed and glanced down at her watch. "Ten past three. I'm going to miss it."

Zana felt for the older woman, she really did. "You could give them a ring? Tell them where you are now?"

"How do I do that?"

"Haven't you got a mobile?" the Doctor frowned.

Donna stopped in her tracks and turned to face the Doctor, "I'm in my wedding dress. It doesn't have pockets. Who has pockets? Have you ever seen a bride with pockets?" Zana actually thought about it for a few moments. "When I went to my fitting at Chez Alison, the one thing I forgot to say is 'give me pockets!'"

"This man you're marrying," the Doctor tugged at his ear, "What's his name?

Donna smiled, the first smile Zana and the Doctor had seen from the woman, "Lance."

The Doctor nodded in contemplation, "Good luck, Lance."

"Oi!" Both Donna and Zana exclaimed at the Doctor's quip.

"No stupid Martian is going to stop me from getting married!" Donna started towards the crowded pavement. "To hell with you!"

Zana watched her run off and glanced up at the Doctor, who was still seemingly stuck on the bride's statement. "I'm..I'm not, I'm not...I'm not from Mars."

"Don't I know it, Time Boy," she took his hand, pulling him in the direction of their latest adventure. "Come on!"

~*~*~*~

Once they caught up to the distressed bride, she was calling for a taxi, but to no prevail.

"Why's his light on?" Donna huffed as the two time travelers joined her.

"Look, there's another one!" Zana pointed out and the trio rushed forward.

"Taxi!" Donna shouted. "Oi!"

The taxi continued on, seemingly ignoring them.

"There's one!" The Doctor ran forward, pulling Zana with him.

"Oi!"

"Do you have this effect on everyone?" the Doctor turned to Donna in disbelief as they were ignored once again. "Why aren't they stopping?"

Donna shook her head, "They think I'm in fancy dress."

Just as the words left her mouth, a car drove past them, the driver yelling, "Stay off the sauce, darling!"

"They think I'm drunk," Donna scoffed.

"You're fooling no one, mate!" Another car passed, its two passengers laughing at the woman in white.

"They think I'm in drag!" the redhead rolled her eyes.

"This is insane," Zana couldn't help but laugh at the absurdity of the situation. "Doctor, can't you do something?"

"Hold on, hold on," the Doctor raked his brain for an idea before sticking two fingers in his mouth and letting out a shrill whistle. Zana's hands flew to her ears instinctively in order to block out the noise, letting out a breath of air when a taxi finally came to a stop in front of them. Donna was quick to pull open the door and get inside, the Doctor and Zana close behind.

"Saint Mary's in Chiswick, just off Hayden Road," Donna informed, pulling off her veil as Zana pulled the car door closed. "It's an emergency! I'm getting married! Just hurry up!"

"You know it'll cost you, sweetheart? Double rates today," the driver informed her as he pulled back onto the road.

"Oh, my God," Donna looked at the Doctor and Zana, the latter of which was already digging in her pockets for any cash. "Have you got any money?"

"Uh, no," he glanced at Zana, who shook her head. Nothing. "Haven't you?"

Donna gave him an annoyed look, "Pockets!"

Without a second thought, the taxi driver turned around, making Zana lean her head by with a sigh. She had a feeling that the entire day was going to be this insane.

~*~*~*~

"...And that goes double for your mother!" Zana had long since tuned out the rantings of their new redheaded acquaintance. She closed the door behind her as the three of them climbed out of the cab. The second the door was closed, the driver sped off.

"I'll have him. I've got his number. I'll have him! Talk about the Christmas spirit," Donna huffed with annoyance.

"Is it Christmas?" the Doctor looked around at her words, finally taking a notice of the holiday decor that surrounded the three of them.

"Oh, my mum is not going to be happy that I'm roaming the streets of London on Christmas again," Zana groaned as she pinched the bridge of her nose, oblivious to the back and forth going on between the Doctor and Donna.

"...can't bear it. I hate Christmas. Honeymoon, Morocco. Sunshine, lovely!" Donna's voice pulled Zana to the present, only to notice her two friends dashing towards a phone booth. "What's the operator? I've not done this in years. What do you dial? 100?"

"Just call them direct," the Doctor pulled his sonic from his jacket pocket and flashed it across the phone.

Donna looked at him, confused. "What did you do?"

"Something Martian. Now phone. I'll get money!" the Doctor moved to dash off towards the closest ATM before stopping and looking around in a hurry. "Zana!"

"Here," she called as she finally jogged over to her friend, having regathered her thoughts and her will to continue with this seemingly odd adventure. "Sorry-"

He grabbed her hand and pulled her towards the queue, bouncing back and forth on his feet as he impatiently waited their turn. Zana simply stood still beside him, her hands in her pockets as her eyes scanned the world around her. She would usually have some sort of remark for the Doctor's antics, but her mind was in a much different place. She was startled back into reality when her alien friend tugged her closer to the ATM.

"You're good," Zana signaled to the Doctor, having made sure the coast was clear. He nodded and pulled out his sonic to use it on the machine.

As she watched the Doctor work, an inkling in the back of her mind told her to look beside her, that someone or something was watching her. The sound of God Rest Ye Merry being played and only growing louder filled her ears, which filled her with more unease. It took her a few seconds to work up the nerve, but she finally turned to look at the source of the problem.

"Doctor," she instantly grabbed his arm, pulling his attention from the machine in front of him. Her pulse instantly sped up. "Doctor, look!"

He looked down at her before following her gaze. Instinctively, he brought his arm up to keep his companion behind him.

"It's the same ones from last Christmas," Zana gulped, her eyes glued on the robotic Santas that stood across the road from them. It was like deja vu. She remembered all too clearly her last encounter with the robots. She was almost burnt to death.

"Thanks for nothing, spaceman! I'll see you in Court!" Donna's yelling pulled their attention away from the Santas. They watched in horror as Donna climbed into the back of a taxi, oblivious to the fact that her driver wasn't human, but rather another robotic Santa.

"Donna, no!" Zana shouted, moving to run to the woman, but the Doctor gripped her hand.

"Wait," he turned and flashed the sonic at the ATM, causing bills to fly out of the machine at an insane rate. They watched as people flocked to the area, joyfully gathering the money that was flying through the air, oblivious to the robots that had backed down from the excitement.

"Come on!" the Doctor and Zana instantly took off towards the direction that the TARDIS was parked. The two of them rushed inside and the Doctor immediately got to work.

"How are they back?" Zana demanded as she followed the Doctor around the console, not paying any mind to what he was doing while avoiding the sparks that shot from the control panels. "I thought we got rid of them when the Sycorazx left-" her eyes widened. "Are they back? The Sycorax?"

"No, they wouldn't have any need to target Donna individually, no less transport her into the TARDIS," he grabbed Zana's shoulders and positioned her in front of a lever. "When I tell you to pull this, pull it."

"Why? What are you doing? How are we going to get Donna back?" the Doctor ignored her, instead rushing towards the TARDIS doors and pulling them open. Zana's eyes widen when she realized they were mid-flight above a motorway. "Oh blimey..."

"Open the door!" the Doctor shouted loudly as to be heard over the roaring of the nearby cars.

Surprisingly, Zana could hear Donna shout back. "Do what?"

"Open the door!"

"I can't, it's locked!"

The Doctor carefully pulled his sonic screwdriver from his pocket and soniced the car door holding Donna in the taxi from hell, or Zana presumed. She couldn't see past the Doctor in the doorway. "Santa's a robot!"

"Donna, open the door!"

"What for?"

"You've got to jump!"

"I'm not blinking fliping jumping!" Donna shouted harshly. Not that Zana blamed her. "I'm supposed to be getting married!"

Before the Doctor could respond, Zana noticed the car the Doctor had been yelling at speed up, passing the TARDIS. Her eyes widened with worry.

"The lever!" the Doctor called over to her, and she pulled it without hesitation. What she wasn't expecting was to be thrown to the ground from the sheer force of the TARDIS flying to catch up to Donna. Sparks flew from the console, a sporadic few landing on the brunette and singeing the flesh of the hand she was using to cover her face.

"Listen to me," the Doctor yelled, steadying himself. "You've got to jump."

Donna shook her head, "I'm not jumping on a motorway!"

"Whatever that thing is, it needs you," the Doctor spoke with purpose as Zana climbed back onto her feet with a painful groan. "And whatever it needs you for, it's not good! Now, come on!"

"I'm in my wedding dress!"

"Yes, you look lovely!" he held out his arms. "Come on!"

"I can't do it," Donna shook her head as she looked down at the roadway below her.

The Doctor's voice grew soft, "Trust me."

"Is that what you said to her? Your friend? The one you lost?" Zana let her body weight rest against the console as she tried to regain her footing."Did she trust you?"

"Yes, she did. And she is not dead. She is so alive," the Doctor's voice was filled with determination, something Zana hadn't heard from him in a long time."Now, jump!"

Moments later, Zana saw Donna leap into the Doctor's arms and safely into the TARDIS. The Doctor was quick to kick the doors closed as the ancient ship took them away from the motorway and back towards the sky.

~*~*~*~

Smoke was billowing out of the TARDIS as Donna stepped out on the rooftop that the Doctor had landed them on, checking her watch. Zana was soon to follow, waving the smoke away from her face as the Doctor used a fire extinguisher to put out the flames that had taken over the console.

"The funny thing is, for a spaceship, she doesn't really do that much flying," the Doctor closed the TARDIS doors and sat the fire extinguisher down. "We'd better give her a couple of hours. You all right?"

Donna shook her head, "Doesn't matter."

"Did we miss it?"

"Yeah," she sighed.

"Well, you can book another date."

"Course we can."

"You've still got the honeymoon."

"It's just a holiday now."

"Yeah...Yeah. Sorry."

"It's not your fault," Donna looked up at him before glancing over at Zana, who was staring at the London skyline, paying no attention to their conversation.

"Oh?" the Doctor smiled down at Donna. "That's a change."

"Wish you had a time machine, then we could go back and get it right," the redhead spoke wistfully.

"Yeah, yeah," the Doctor nodded slowly. "But even if I did, I couldn't go back on someone's personal timeline," he paused, "Apparently."

Zana finally tore her gaze away from the Powell Estate, the home of her long-gone friend, and turned to see Donna take a seat on the ledge of the building. The Doctor shrugged off his jacket and laid it on the woman's shoulders when he caught sight of her shivering, making the brunette smile softly. Same old Doctor.

"God, you're skinny," Donna commented, which earned a laugh from Zana, who was watching the two of them from her spot beside the TARDIS. There was no way she was going to join them on the ledge of the building, her fear of heights was too strong. "This wouldn't fit a rat."

"Oh, and you'd better put this on," the Doctor pulled a gold ring from his trouser pockets and held it out to the bride.

Donna rolled her eyes, "Oh, do you have to rub it in?"

"Those creatures can trace you," the Doctor told her seriously. "This is a bio-damper. Should keep you hidden." Donna reluctantly held out her hand to him. "With this ring, I thee bio-damp."

"For better or for worse?" Donna pondered, earning a smile from the two time travelers. "So, come on then. Robot Santas, what are they for?"

"Ah, your basic robo scavenger. The Father Christmas stuff is just a disguise. They're trying to blend in," the Doctor turned and looked back at Zana, who had yet again become entranced by the skyline. "Zan and I met them last Christmas."

Donna frowned, "Why, what happened then?"

"Great big spaceship hovering over London? You didn't notice?"

Donna thought for a moment, "I had a bit of a hangover."

"I spent Christmas Day just over there, the Powell Estate, with this family," the Doctor's words drew Zana's attention to him. "Our friend, she had this family. Well, they were..." his voice trailed off. "Still, gone now."

"Your friend, who was she?" Donna asked softly, having noticed the hint of sadness in his voice and the longing look Zana held in her eyes. They were hurting, she knew that now.

"Question is, what do camouflaged robot mercenaries want with you? And how did you get inside the TARDIS? I don't know." the Doctor bit his lip as he studied Donna, deep in thought. He quickly reached over and started digging in his jacket pockets for what Zana assumed was his sonic screwdriver. "What's your job?"

"I'm a secretary," she answered proudly.

The Doctor flashed the sonic towards Donna, "It's weird. I mean, you're not special, you're not powerful, you're not connected, you're not clever, you're not important-"

"Oi," Zana frowned at the Doctor's words. She knew that he didn't mean it in such a rude way, he just wasn't the best when it came to manners.

"This friend of yours, just before she left, did she punch you in the face?" Donna huffed before pushing the sonic screwdriver out of her face. "Stop bleeping me!"

"What kind of secretary?"

"I'm at H.C. Clements," Zana's attention snapped to Donna in an instant. "It's where I met Lance. I was temping."

"H.C. Clements?" She asked quickly, walking up to her. "Do you really work there? "

"Yeah, why? Does it matter?" Donna frowned at Zana's response.

"No, it's probably nothing..." Zana murmured as she glanced at the Doctor, who was studying her with confusion. "I uh, I'm just going to call my mum and let her know I'm back in town, yeah?"

Without waiting for a response from either of them, she turned and made her way back to the TARDIS, leaving the Doctor and Donna to talk. She instantly stepped inside, waving the remaining smoke from her face as she hurried past the console room and towards her bedroom.

There was no way that Donna working at H.C. Clements was just an odd coincidence. Not after what she had learned just a few weeks prior. Not after learning who was really behind H.C. Clements. She immediately grabbed her phone off of her nightstand and dialed her mum's mobile number. The line rang for only a moment.

"Zana!" Cynthia Kline's voice was joyful. "How lovely of you to call on Christmas."

"Mum," Zana started back towards the console room. "Tell me about Donna."

"Donna?" her mum frowned. "Who's Donna?"

"You tell me, you're the one in charge of H.C. Clements."

"I'm not familiar with everyone who works there, certainly not those who have no idea about Torchwood's research. It's a liability, Zana."

Zana frowned at her mother's response. Her tone was defensive.

"Everything alright?" Zana looked up to see the Doctor and Donna step back into the TARDIS.

"Gotta go, Mum," she spoke into the phone, ignoring the Doctor's question.

"Wait, Zana," her mum said. "Are you going to be coming by? Your father and I miss you terribly with it being the holidays-"

"Yeah, yeah, I'll be by soon, Mum," Zana assured before pulling the phone from her ear and ending the call. The Doctor was studying her intently. "I have quite the favor to ask you, Doctor."

~*~*~*~

The TARDIS materialized a block away from the Kline residence, and seconds later Zana and the Doctor stepped outside into the cool winter air. Zana looked around her neighborhood of eighteen years and let a small smile form on her lips. She did miss it sometimes.

"Are you sure about this?" the Doctor pondered aloud as he watched his companion. "Zan-"

"Doctor," she looked up at the Time Lord as she took his hands into her own. "I know that you're going to help Donna. I know that you're going to fix her. The only way I can help you do that is from here, from home."

"But why?" His eyes bore into hers, looking for an answer. "What aren't you telling me?"

Zana shook her head, looking for the right words to say. The Doctor wouldn't react well to the news that her mother was not only a part of Torchwood, which he believed was responsible for the loss of their Rose, but a senior advisor that was the head of multiple extraterrestrial experiments on behalf of the organization. Hell, Zana was still having a hard time coming to terms with it herself. After nineteen years, she was just now getting to know who her parents were. "H.C. Clements, my mum used to tell me that's where she worked, but we both know that's not the case, don't we? There's something she's not telling me, Doctor, and I've got to figure it out. I'll likely get more answers out of her if you aren't standing over my shoulder."

He sighed, "They still don't trust me, then."

"I'm afraid it's going to take a lot more than saving the world to impress them," she smiled warmly, squeezing his hands and letting them drop. "I'll give you a ring if I find out anything that might help us."

"Right," he nodded, sliding his hands in his pockets. There was something he wanted to say, she could sense it. "It's just...you're coming back, right? To the TARDIS? "

Zana felt her chest flutter at his words. "Only if you don't forget about me," she teased lightheartedly.

"Oi," Donna poked her head outside the spaceship, making the Doctor and Zana face her. "I've got a reception that is waiting to start, spaceman! Let's go!"

"You had better get her there," Zana nudged the Doctor. "I'll see you soon, Doctor. Be careful, yeah?"

"Always," he assured with a faint smile before turning and making his way back into his TARDIS. He gave Zana one last look before closing the door behind him. The TARDIS disappeared seconds later.

Zana stood there a moment, taking in the fact that she had sent her Doctor off on his own to save yet another life. She felt like she should be there, by his side, but she knew deep down that there was something her mother wasn't telling her. Something important. Something that could help her save Donna.

And with that, she inhaled deeply, turned, and started towards her parent's house.

~*~*~*~

A/N: Ayyyy! It's been a while, but Zana is always on my mind. I hope you still want to hear her story!


	25. The Runaway Bride Pt. 2

Zana knew something was off the second she stepped into her home.

The house was eerily quiet, which she usually wouldn't take any note of. There was never much noise, as both her parents were very busy people and hardly ever home during the day, but it was Christmas. They should be here.

"Mum?" Zana kicked off her shoes by the front door before walking towards the kitchen. "Dad? Anyone home?"

Her eyes wandered around aimlessly as she awaited a response, but there wasn't one. She was just beginning to feel a sense of dread when the front door opened and the sound of her parents' laughter filled her head.

"Zana!" Carlisle Kline greeted warmly as he pulled off his winter coat and hung it next to the front door. "How long have you been here?"

"I just got here," she chuckled as her father pulled her into a tight and welcoming embrace. "I asked the Doctor to bring me."

"And where is the Doctor?" Her dad pulled away and gave Zana a look of uncertainty.

"He's off helping a friend," she answered simply enough as she turned to her awaiting mother. "Hi, Mum."

Cynthia Kline stepped forward and wordlessly hugged her daughter, holding her as tight as she could without restricting her airflow. She hadn't seen her since the Battle.

"Mum..." Zana smiled.

"Are you okay?"

"I'm fine. Really," she pulled out of the embrace and gave her mum an assuring smile. "It's taking some getting used to, having lost..."

It was Cynthia's turn to offer a comforting smile as she studied her daughter's face.

She looked exhausted. She looked older.

"Anyway, enough about that," Carlisle stepped past the two women. "I'll be right back, this requires champagne!"

Both Zana and her mum laughed as they watched him disappear into the kitchen. They stood there in silence for a few moments before Zana remembered why exactly she came home. She needed to know what was happening at H.C. Clements. She needed to know what was happening to Donna. Something inside of her that she couldn't explain just kept telling her that her mother, in some way, was involved. She had to be.

"Mum, can we talk?" She turned to face her. "It's about your job."

"Of course, honey," her mum nodded and started walking towards her office, which was up the stairs. Zana quickly followed after her. "What is it you want to know?"

Zana watched as her mother walked around her desk and took a seat. In some odd way, it felt like she was seeing her mother for the first very time. It was like she had flipped a switch and was no longer her mother, but instead solely the Head Scientific Advisor for Torchwood.

"The Doctor and I," Zana shook her thoughts from her head and took the seat opposite of Cynthia. "We were in the TARDIS today, saying goodbye to..." she paused and let out a sigh before continuing. "Anyway, it was just the two of us. It's only been the two of us for two weeks now, Mum. Then out of nowhere this woman just...appeared. It was like...she was pulled in by something."

Cynthia frowned as she listened, "And what exactly does this have to do with me? Or Torchwood?"

"My whole life you lied to me and told me you worked for some locksmith company called H.C. Clements. You told me that for eighteen years and now it means something," Zana leaned forward in her chair, "Donna works there too, Mum. She's just a temp, she obviously isn't a part of any secret underground organization."

"Zana, darling, I already told you that I have no idea who that is," her mum sighed. She should have seen this coming.

"And I believe you, Mum, I do. You may not know her, but your work in that building has done something to her. I know it has, it's the only explanation. What is it you do there?"

"I can't tell you that," Cynthia spoke softly. "Zana, it's top secret."

Zana was beginning to grow annoyed. The way she saw it, her mother's work almost ended the entire world when they foolishly allowed the ghost shifts to happen, enabling the Cybermen and Daleks to take over. Her mum's job, in a way, stole her best friend away from her. She had to keep reminding herself that it was Torchwood that did everything wrong, not her mom. But it was getting harder to do.

"Look, I know you don't want to tell me anything," Zana stood to her feet. "But I can guarantee that if you don't give me the answers I need, then the Doctor will find them himself. And, just so you know, Torchwood doesn't rank too highly on his list of friendly organizations, especially after the Battle of Canary Wharf, so don't expect things to be forgiven so quickly this time 'round."

Cynthia gave Zana a look she had never seen before. It actually caused a shiver to run down her spine. "Zana Kline, you will not threaten me. Do not threaten me with the Doctor. I am your mother."

"It's starting to frighten me how little you seem to care about the repercussions of your work. People have died! People are in danger and you don't even care!" Zana was shouting now, she couldn't help it. She was pissed. "How can you be the person who raised me to believe that every life matters, every single one of them, when you yourself are so indifferent to the casualties of your cause?"

"Zana Marie Kline-"

"No. You listen to me this time because I already know what you're going to say. Donna's in trouble. She's supposed to be getting married! You ruined the best day of her life because you-"

"Huon particles."

"-are just- I'm sorry?" Zana blinked. "What particles?"

"For years now, I've been overseeing a confidential research project in the lower levels of H.C. Clements," Cynthia stood from her seat and opened the file cabinet behind her. She searched for a second before pulling out a few thick files and sitting them on the desk in front of her daughter. "We've been restoring and creating what is known as Huon particles. They haven't been universally used in millennia and have long been thought to be nonexistent."

"What do they do?" Zana quickly got to work, opening the files in order to go over them.

"We...don't know. Not really," her mother informed. "But I do as I am told. I'm just doing my job, Zana, don't you see? I have to take orders from my superiors. I have a duty for Queen and Country."

"Mum..." Zana closed the files and sat back down in her chair. "The Huon particles are the only explanation for Donna showing up in the TARDIS. How could Donna be...poisoned with these? How does that even happen?"

"The only possible way anyone could possess enough Huon to transport themselves across the Universe would mean that she would have had been dosed for months at the very least."

"By who? And why?"

"Huon particles are attracted to Huon particles. The Universe has been without for a long time, so activated Huon would immediately be drawn to other activated Huon particles, and I'm guessing, since she appeared in the TARDIS, that the Doctor's ship must have remnants of the particle."

"But who?"

Cynthia shook her head, "That, I don't know. I'm sorry."

"I'm sorry for shouting," Zana apologized. "But if I were you, Mum, I would definitely look into the security of your labs because Donna's in serious trouble."

"Yes ma'am," her mum replied with a cheeky smile. "Now, how about that champagne?"

"About that," Zana and her mum turned when they heard Carlisle's voice. "Saxon has requested that I report to base immediately. Something has entered our atmosphere."

Zana frowned at his words, "Harold Saxon?" She shook her head. "Nevermind that, what's in the atmosphere?"

"It seems to be an alien ship," her father answered with a sigh. "I'm so sorry that I have to go the only time you're actually home, Zana."

"Comes with the job," Zana replied instinctively. She had heard that her entire life.

"Promise me you'll be here when I return?"

"I promise to try."

The small family shared a sad smile at her words.

~*~*~*~*~

Zana had tried to call the Doctor the moment her father had left, but he wouldn't answer. She chalked it up to him simply being away from the TARDIS, but she was bursting to tell him what she had learned from her mother.

"Zana, darling, could you help me with the cooking?" Cynthia's voice called to Zana from the kitchen. The teenager had been laying on the couch in the sitting room for an hour now, dialing and redialling the TARDIS with no prevail.

"Do I have to?" Zana replied absently as she let out a sigh and begrudgingly sat her phone down on the couch beside her. There was no point. It was starting to worry her, as she had absolutely no idea where the Doctor or Donna was, or even if they were okay.

"Yes, your father would appreciate it," her mother walked into the room, giving Zana a knowing look.

"He's not even here."

"Zana, it's Christmas."

Zana hated arguing. She really did. She knew that if she were to say something about worrying for the Doctor, her mother would find some reason to turn it into an argument.

So she reluctantly agreed.

For about an hour, the two of them cooked and prepped and even laughed a few times. Zana couldn't say that she had become distracted from the Doctor and Donna because they were still at the forefront of her mind, but she'd be lying if she said she wasn't enjoying this time with her mother. She couldn't really remember the last time the two of them spent actual quality time together.

"Turn on the telly, will ya?" Her mum looked up from the dessert she was preparing and noticed her daughter staring absently at the blank television, as if it held the answers to all her questions. "I'm sure it's a bit more interesting than your reflection."

"Thanks, Mum," Zana murmured as leaned forward and turned on the small telly that was sitting on their kitchen island. The screen came to life to reveal a news broadcaster and a breaking news alert.

"This just in, Minister of Defense Harold Saxon has released an official statement regarding the current alien craft entering the Earth's atmosphere above London this Christmas Eve," an older man spoke in a rather official, if not slightly worried tone. Zana crossed her arms and began chewing on her nails nervously as the image shifted to reveal the alien craft shaped much like a giant star...or web.

"Citizens of Great Britain, do not be alarmed," a different man flashed across the screen, who Zana instantly recognized as Harold Saxon. Something about him resonated very strongly with the British people, herself included. He was relatively new to the public scene, but she knew that it was only a matter of time before he took office as Prime Minister. Harriet Jones wasn't faring too well (thanks to the Doctor's six words) and she was going to be replaced, and by who better than Harold Saxon? Zana just wasn't aware that her father worked for him. Learn something new everyday, she supposed. "The great men and women we have serving in the Unified Intelligence Taskforce will disarm this looming threat before it is capable of harming any human life."

"They're going to shoot it down, just like they did to the Sycorax," Zana murmured to herself as her mum simply continued her task of cooking. "But they don't even know who it is, Mum."

"It's not our job to ask questions, Zana. Your father and I follow orders."

Zana chose not to respond to her mother's words, instead turning back to the telly.

"The human race is in the midst of a celebration of love. Of family. Of togetherness," Mr. Saxon's eyes were looking directly into the camera, and in a way, into Zana. "We will not tolerate alien threats during such joyous times, or any time, for that matter. We must establish our place in the Universe and send a message out into the stars that we are not weak, but strong. That we are inclined to save our people, always."

"Have you met Mr. Saxon?" Zana looked up to see her mum sliding her pie into the oven.

"Yes, he's very involved with both UNIT and Torchwood," she wiped the spare flour from her hands. "He's taken a great interest in your father's work."

"Really? Is he nice?"

"Oh, he and Lucy are lovely, Zana. You'd love them!" Cynthia smiled widely as she stepped up and wrapped an arm around her daughter's shoulders. "We've had dinner with them a few times now, and he's always asking about you."

"He knows about me?" Zana asked in surprise.

"Why wouldn't he? Do you think your father and I don't mention your name? Ever?"

"Well, no," she admitted. "I always assume you two are too busy talking about official things, like blowing up alien ships."

Her mother gave her an annoyed look, "You know for a fact that we try to make as many connections for you as possible. A recommendation from Minister Saxon would help you tremedously when you apply for university."

Zana's eyes widened slightly at her mum's words. University was the very last thing on her mind. Hell, she hadn't thought of school since the moment the Doctor blew hers up.

"Yeah..." she hesitantly agreed, not wanting to hear her mother's tirade about school.

"...and remember," Mr. Saxon's voice filled the empty air. "While we are not alone in this Universe, we are very much capable of protecting and holding our own. Do not fret, do not worry. The Universe will soon see Planet Earth as its master. Merry Christmas, and God Bless Queen and Country."

"Master?" Zana frowned as the footage returned to the newsbroadcaster. "That doesn't sound right..."

The kettle on the stove began to whistle loudly, causing the young woman to jump in surprise. Her mum reached over and switched the burner off, laughing quietly at her daughter's reaction.

"The Doctor's out there," Zana reminded softly as she sighed, drowing out the noise of the telly as the video of the ailen ship played on repeat. "He's out there, Mum. He's probably on that ship, knowing him. He needs me."

"Zana..." Cynthia's eyes softened at her daughter's words. "If the Doctor is even half as amazing as you talk him up to be, then I promise you he will be okay."

"But what if he's not? Even the Doctor needs someone, Mum," Zana's chest began to tighten at the worrisome thoughts entering her mind. She felt her heart begin to race. She couldn't afford to lose him, not now.

"Come here," Cynthia pulled Zana in to a tight embrace, comfortingly stroking her hair as the young woman felt tears brim her eyes. "You know, when your father gets called onto something like this...it terrifies me every time, Zana. I'm so scared something will go wrong and two men in uniforms are going to show up at our door. It never gets easier, darling. All you can do, when you aren't by his side, is hope. Hope that he'll be okay and that he'll come back to you..."

Zana knew her mother's words were directed towards the Doctor, but she felt the fear she held for father. She honestly never considered how her mother felt when her dad was working, as she always had a warming smile and a calm demeanor. She supposed that was why she herself was so good at masking her true feelings. It was an inherited trait.

"I'm sorry, Mum...I never knew," Zana murmured as she pulled out of the warm hug. "I never even considered-"

Before she could finish, the sound of her phone ringing instantly caught her attention. Without a second thought, she quickly dashed out of the kitchen and into the living room, where her phone had been sitting on the couch. Without even looking, she picked it up and answered it.

"Doctor!" She breathed a sigh of relief. "Are you okay? What about Donna?"

"The threat's been taken care of," the voice on the other line replied. "You can tell your friend it was no thanks to him this time. I've always had to clean up his messes."

"Who is this?" She demanded instantly. "Where's the Doctor?"

"If I were you, I'd save this number, Miss Kline. I have a feeling you'll be hearing a lot from me."

"Hold on..." Zana frowned. "I know this voice. Mr. Saxon? Did my parents give you this number?"

"Your parents are very good people. Very obediant," Harold's smile could be heard through the phone. "I'm sure you yourself are quite the obediant companion."

"How do you know the Doctor?" It had just clicked in her head that he was speaking of her alien friend. "Have you met him?"

"We go way back," he replied cheekily. "Your father should be home in time for dinner. Give him my praises. Until we speak again, Zana Kline."

With that, the line went dead.

Zana pulled the phone from her ear and glanced down at the screen, frowning at the unfamiliar number. Why did Harold Saxon call her? Why, out of all the people on the planet? Why now?

"Zana?" her mum called from the kitchen. "Who was it?"

"Uh..." she wasn't sure if she should tell her or not. After all, she was sure her mother and father were behind it. "Dad's on his way home."

"Brilliant!" Cynthia exclaimed as Zana sat her phone back down. She was still eagerly awaiting for the Doctor to call her. "Now come and help me finish dinner before he arrives."

*~*~*~*~

Zana was seated at the dinning room table, which was adorned with an array of festive foods, plates, and silverware, staring blankly as her parents tended to the finishing touches of their Christmas Eve meal. Her father had returned half an hour ago, beaming and proud of his latest mission's success. She tried to seem present, but her mind was racing with the events of the day. Her earlier conversation with Mr. Saxon was at the back of her mind, while the Doctor was at the forefront. She hadn't heard from him in hours. She was growing more and more concerned by the minute.

"...it's only a matter of time before he's PM, I'm telling ya," her father's voice pulled her to the present as her eyes focused on her two parents. They were working around each other like some intricate dance, like they had rehearsed it a thousand times. They were smiling and talking and laughing without a care in the world. They were happy. To them, their night was complete with Zana at home. Things couldn't be more perfect, in fact.

"Did you..." Zana cleared her throat. "Did you happen to give my mobile number to Mr. Saxon?"

Her parents both turned to look at her, but it was her father who answered.

"Why would we do that, sweetheart?" He pondered, glass in hand.

"I mean, I dunno. Mum said you've talked to him about me, so I just assumed..."

"No, we've never done such a thing," he chuckled, waving her off. "Why do you ask?"

She shrugged, quickly looking down so they couldn't meet her gaze. "Just wondering."

Before they could say anything else, the doorbell rang throughout the house.

"Get that, Zana," her mother told her. "Dinner will be done in five so make it quick."

"Make it quick," she mocked quietly as she stood from her seat. She ignored the stern look her mum gave her and shuffled towards the front door. She figured it was one of her father's friends behind the door so she took her time, but when she pulled open the door, the Doctor was looking back at her. He looked exhausted.

"Zana," a tired smile formed on his lips as he saw her. He felt the day's stress and regrets slip from his mind for just a moment as she returned his smile and immediately pulled him into her arms.

"Doctor," she spoke into his chest as he held her close. "Oh thank god you're okay, I was starting to think..."

She couldn't find it in herself to say it aloud.

"I'm sorry," he murmured softly, his arms tightening around her. He needed her by his side today more than ever, but he was eternally grateful that she hadn't seen him so low, so...broken.

"Are you alright?" she pulled away slightly to look up at him, but stayed in his embrace. "Where's Donna?"

"She's home. She's safe," he assured.

"And you?"

"I'm here," he spoke softly. Zana frowned at his words and reached up, caressing his cheek softly. She had no idea what he went through in her absence, but based on the heaviness in his eyes, it was no walk in the park. Guilt rose in her chest.

"I should have been there-"

"No," the Doctor cut her off and shook his head. "No, I think it's better you weren't, Zan."

"What happened?" She met his gaze. "I tried to call you, to tell you about the Huon particles-"

"How did you know about that?"

"My mum, she's in charge of the projects under H.C. Clements," she watched as his face grew hard. "That's why I came home, I knew that she knew something. I should have told you."

He just shook his head. He couldn't get into that tonight, not after the day he just had. He just needed her.

"Back to the TARDIS?" He asked gently as he released her and took her hand into his own.

"Uh..." she gave him a nervous smile. "Actually, my parents wanted me to stay for Christmas dinner. Care to join us?"

He groaned at her words, "Oh...I don't-"

"Please? I've been here dealing with them all day, Doctor. A little reprieve would be nice," she gave his hand a squeeze. "An hour, tops, then back home."

The Doctor couldn't help but smile warmly at her words. He quite liked the way that sounds, especially the way she said it. There was something about Zana Kline that he couldn't say no to.

"Oh, alright," he feigned defeat as he let out a loud sigh. "An hour and that's it. We've got places to be, people to meet."

"You and I both know that the Universe won't stop if you take a break," her words stung slightly as he remembered something similar his departed Rose had told him a lifetime ago. "I even made something special for you!"

"You did what?" he let her pull him into the house.

She closed the door behind him, briefly admiring the snow that was falling from the sky before replying with a grin, "Banana bread."

"Zana Kline, you continue to amaze me," he beamed happily.

"The least I could do after you saved the day," she nudged him before stepping past him, towards the dinning room. "Come on, Time Boy. Time to eat."

He watched as she disappeared around the corner and allowed himself, for a brief moment, to bask in the feeling of adoration and contentment that filled him. He momentarily forgot about the horrors of the day. The feeling of water dripping down his face as he watched the Racnoss burn and her children drown left his mind, as well as Donna's face when she had refused to join him in his travels. He had terrified her.

He kept picturing Zana. How she would have reacted if she had seen him in such a dark, low place, on the verge of ending not only the Racnoss, but himself.

She would have been terrified, too.

Donna was right. He needed someone. Someone to keep him sane, to keep him alive. To tell him to stop.

He needed Zana.

~*~*~*~*~

A/N: Ahhh! Enjoy!

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you enjoy :)


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